176 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN G-UIDE. 



to the centre, and mined through a 

 great part of the stem with insect- 

 galleries, and at one point the bark 

 is destroyed all round the tree, \^ith 

 the exception of a strip two inches 

 "wide, which, being unhurt, is all that 

 remains to cari'y on the circulation 

 between the entire head of the tree 

 and its roots. There can be no need for 

 philosophizing here ; the tree wants 

 cleaning; it is perishing with the accu- 

 mulation of filth ; and the sawdust, as 

 one may call it, which is seen in little 

 heaps in the approaches to the orifices 

 of the galleries, is simply the debris 

 removed by the process of insect- 

 boring in the heart-wood of the tree. 

 Is it fair to complain of a tree being 

 unfruitful while the trunk is in such 

 a condition? Such was the case 

 "with a once fine tree of Hawthorn- 

 den, which came under our care four 

 years ago. The bark was destroyed, 

 and the wood cut into it as if deeply 

 burnt by the application of a hoop of 

 red-hot iron. Only one inch of bark 

 remained to sustain the flow of the 

 sap. That tree is now loaded with 

 as fine a crop of apples as any tree of 

 its size in the three kingdoms ; with 

 more, in fact, than it will be able to 

 carry, as their weight increases to- 

 wards ripening; and the inch of bark 

 which kept it half alive is now three 

 inches wide, and has swelled out into 

 a large knee of new wood, the simple 

 consequence of prompt treatment. 

 As the vermin could not be got out 

 from their tunnels, they were suffo- 

 cated by a dressing of grafting clay, 

 with which was incorporated a large 

 proportion of soot and sulphur. This 

 was rammed into every one of the 

 holes, and every wound was stopped 

 with it. A broad strip of canvas was 

 then bound round the tree, and the 

 canvas washed with hot tar. The 

 cause of destruction ceasing, the tree 

 at once bei;un to recovei'. In due 

 time the bindings got loose, a proof 

 that the ti'ee was shaking off the 

 withered bark beneath them, and, on 

 its removal, it was found that the 

 original strip of connecting bark had 

 extended itself in the direction of the 

 girtli of the stem right and left, and 

 the improved health of the tree was 

 shown in its immediate production of 



new wood of the most robust and 

 promising character. Suppose the 

 cleansing and dressing to cost an 

 outlay in time and materials of ten 

 shillings, which is the utmost it need 

 cost, the next crop returns the whole 

 of the expenditure, and possibly a 

 profit of two or three hundred per 

 cent, upon it. 



Making a similar inspection of 

 another tree, situated perhaps, in a 

 different part of the same orchard or 

 garden, we find the bark dirty but 

 sound ; at every junction of a bough 

 with the stem, and wherever there 

 has been a wound or scar, huge masses 

 of white woolly material are deposited, 

 and these, when touched, communi- 

 cate to the finger a disgusting choco- 

 late-coloured stain. Here is one cause 

 of declining vigour in the ravages of 

 American blight. Looking at the ex- 

 tremities of the shoots that ought to 

 be loaded "oith apples, we perceive 

 instead of fruit, a number of warty 

 protuberances, and similar pi'oduc- 

 tions abound on all the main boughs, 

 especially at the points of junction 

 with them and the smaller shoots on 

 which the bearing spurs are placed. 

 The tree needs cleansing, and it needs 

 also to be lifted up out of the wet, 

 for those gouty warts are proof that 

 its roots are too cold, too much sod- 

 dened with water, and probably run 

 too deep into a cold clay, or sour 

 gravel. The cure in this case is more 

 difficult, but not impossible, and with 

 a plantation so circumstanced it may 

 appear too formidable to be attempted. 

 Nevertheless, however difficult, if pro- 

 perly set about, it will alwaj'S pay to 

 work an effectual cure, though it 

 might be a waste of money to half do 

 what is so obviously needed. The 

 trees cannot be lifted, but they can 

 be root-pruned and drained. Another 

 inspection shows that the ground is 

 covered with suckers froni the roots, 

 and the tendency of the trees to be- 

 come bare in places, indicates to us 

 that they have exhausted the soU they 

 are growing in, and in their attempts 

 to find fresh sources of nourishment 

 have struck their roots into a boggy 

 subsoil, and are perishing in the at- 

 tempt to live. Supposing this to be 

 the case "with an orchard planted regu- 



