50 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



quantify of water must of course be evaporated, 

 and a plentiful sprinkling on the leaves at least 

 two or three times a week if a high temperature 

 is kept up. I have found much pleasure the past 

 winter in such a place, and would recommend any 

 one who may find the same interest amongst his 

 few plants that I do, to try it, as it has far exceed- 

 ed my expectations. A rough staging can be 

 made of unplaned boards, and a portion of the 

 sash hung as doors, so as freely to admit the air 

 on pleasant days. 



It is, perhaps, needless to say how highly your 

 Horticulturist is appreciated among us; few peri- 

 odicals are as anxiously looked for. Very truly 

 Yours, " Philadclphus/' Woodside, near Ger- 

 mantown, Pa. 



[We present our best thanks to Philadelphus 

 for his obliging present of the labels, which we re- 

 ceived in seven different patterns. We have used 

 them, and are charmed with them. .We have seen 

 many labels, but have never seen or used any at 

 once so tasteful in form, so beautiful in appearance 

 and so excellent for the purpose. Every amateur 

 who wishes to label his trees or his plants taste- 

 fully, will desire to use these labels. Will Messrs. 

 Buist or Landreth, therefore tell us what they are 

 worth per dozen or hundred ? Ed.] 



Diseased Peach Trees. Dear Sir — At the 

 earnest request of a friend, I address you a few 

 lines on the subject of the disease extensively pre- 

 vailing in this vicinity amongst peach trees, hoping 

 that you will be able to favor the public with some 

 suggestions on the nature and preventive or cure 

 of the disease. 



Peach trees in this vicinity, in the fore part of 

 May, bid fair to yield an abundant crop; but soon 

 after the fruit was set, the leaves began to crisp, 

 or curl up and drop off; the young fruit also dropped 

 off, and many of the limbs, (the lower ones more es- 

 pecially.) presented the appearance of having been 

 punctured in different places by some insect, so 

 that gum would ooze out and the limbs die. 



Young peach trees seem to be affected to a 

 greater extent than old ones. A year ago our 

 trees were similarly affected, but not to so great 

 an extent. Yours, respectfully. J. H. Bostwick. 

 Auburn June 19, 1849. 



[We have examined some peach trees affected 

 in this manner. We attribute their unhealthy ap- 

 pearance mainly to the injurious effects of the ex- 

 cessive changes of temperature last April. We 

 would advise cutting out. immediately, all the dis- 

 eased branches, and shortening back from two to 

 four feet, the ends of all the sound limbs. This 

 will force the tree to make a new head of healthy 

 wood, and cause a favorable reaction to its vital 

 energies. Ed.] 



Laying Fruit grounds into Grass; versus 

 Root Pruning. — I observe that much has been 

 written in the pages of the Horticulturist of the ne- 

 cessity of root pruning to induce bearing in trees 



otherwise too thrifty, and pushing all their growth 

 into young wood. Let the tree grow ever so fast, 

 when it gets ready to bear fruit, it will do so — and 

 its large growth only prepares it to yield so much 

 more abundantly when the time comes. If, how- 

 ever, instead of cutting off the roots, the cultiva- 

 tor will only lay down the soil to grass, and mow 

 it, the warm rays of the sun and the moisture will 

 be excluded from the roots of the tree, and going 

 into the grass, a lessened growth of wood is the 

 consequence, and fruit buds will be formed, and 

 abundant bearing be the result. 



This I have tried in more than one instance. It 

 is only those who have but few trees, and those 

 extravagantly cultivated, who thus complain. 

 Large orchardists are rarely troubled in this way, 

 being of necessity obliged to keep their orchards 

 more or less in grass, the trees make a less luxu- 

 riant growth , and early bearing follows as a matter 

 of course. Besides, if the root is pruned, a like 

 pruning of the head must follow beyond what its 

 proper formation requires, and thus extraordinary 

 labor is expended. Nature should be guided, not 

 thwarted, and I can see no more real necessity for 

 pruning the roots of a fruit tree to check over- 

 growth, than for pruning a corn stalk for the same 

 cause. Each in time, will perform its due func- 

 tions. Lewis F . Allen. 



[Our correspondent, who is an orchardist on a 

 large scale, does not see the great value of root 

 pruning to amateurs who wish to grow fifty trees 

 in a small garden, because they have very little 

 room for each tree. To such, root pruning and 

 pinching are invaluable. — Ed.] 



The last Winter on Plants. — With the ex- 

 ception of a few stern days early in November, 

 we had nothing that savored of a northern winter 

 until the 20th of December. The atmosphere 

 was mild and balmy, untroubled by the tempestu- 

 ous storms, and the earth for the most time ready 

 to receive the labors of the cultivator until the 

 latter period. Consequently, the plow and the 

 spade were kept in operation, as circumstances 

 required. Frost was scarcely seen during the first 

 twenty days of December, and the temperature so 

 mild, that we were, one and all, trembling for the 

 blossom buds from which we had hoped to gather 

 our summer and autumn fruit. That they dream- 

 ed of spring, and began to expand their buds to 

 meet its embrace is certain. That nature shielded 

 them from harm when the cold winds came furi- 

 ously from the north, and the cold and the ice ra- 

 ged with relentless fury is no less true. 



On the night of December 22, our warm wea- 

 ther retired to a less fickle climate, and winter 

 took possession of the season, heralded by the fury 

 of a snow storm. Then, the ground was very 

 smooth and unfrozen, and the fall of about six inch- 

 es gave very good sleighing. 



January was a fair winter month, not so cold as 

 to be uncomfortable, or so warm as to occasion a 

 sigh that winter had forsaken its stronghold and 



