ORIGIN OF THE APPLE TREE. 17 



of polished brass, and possesses an agreeable fragrancy. Per- 

 haps no tree presents a gayer appearance in Spring, when 

 dressed in green, and with clusters of flowers of a most pleas- 

 ing blush. The petals may be compared to flakes of white 

 wax, faintly tinged with the finest carmine ; though some 

 trees have flowers of a damask rose color. It grows in 

 woods and hedges, and flourishes better on declivities and in 

 shady places than in open exposed situations or on boggy soils ; 

 its blossoms appear in the month of May. 



This parent stock of all varieties of apples is well adapted 

 as a stock for grafting, because its roots are neither killed by 

 frost nor eaten by field mice ; grass and even corn will grow 

 beneath it. The wood of the crab tree is tolerably hard, turns 

 clean on the lathe ; and will receive a polish which renders it 

 very desirable. The acid juice of the fruit is commonly term- 

 ed verjuice, and is employed in recent sprains and in other 

 cases as an astringent repellent. This fruit is eaten by horses ^ 

 cows, sheep, goats, and particularly by hogs, which are ex- 

 tremely fond of it. 



As this species quickly attains its growth, it deserves to 

 form a part of every plantation ; and we have only to regret 

 that it is not more generally cultivated, as it will in a short 

 time amply compensate the trouble and expense bestowed on 

 setting it. 



In dyeing, the bark of the crab-tree has been employed for 

 forming ?^ yellow and especially a citron color. Dambourney 

 relates, that the dry shavings of this wood imparted a fine 

 chestnut brown to wool prepared by a solution of bismuth. 

 Turners and cabinet makers also use the wood. 



Trees that come from Southern countries contain more 

 aqueous juice than those that grow in the North, and trees 

 from the South, when transplanted to a more Northern cli- 

 mate, are more liable to perish by frost. The remedy for 

 this, is to deprive such trees of their leaves partially and 

 gradually before they fall of themselves, so that by the be- 

 ginning of Winter, the trees should be almost bare. This 

 thickens the juices and renders them less liable to be injured 

 by frost. 



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