REMARKS ON BARK-BOUND CHERRY TREES. 



161 



third year they fell off still more. The 

 fourth year, entirely worthless ; and I have 

 dug them up. I ought to have said I had 

 the power to water at pleasure, from run- 

 ning water on the top of the hill. This 

 only confirms what my friend S. G. Per- 

 kins, Esq., of Boston, predicted to me. 

 But in my various experiments on grape- 

 vines, I find that a large dressing of wood 

 ashes is decidedly beneficial ; and my grapes 

 this year, in my vinery, are decidedly of 

 better flavor, and better colour, for this 

 treatment. I ought to say, that at the rame 

 time I have twice watered them, with a 

 decoction of potash dissolved in water, 

 sav 10 lbs. of ashes to 20 gallons of water. 

 I find you have several times been asked 

 if the Osage Orange succeeds as far north 

 as this, in making a good hedge. All I 

 can say is, I have tried it for five years, 



and have never lost a plant by winter frost 

 or summer drouth ; and that if one can 

 spare the ground for the spread of the 

 roots, a handsomer or better'hedge cannot 

 be wished for. The Osage Orange cannot 

 be propagated by cuttings, or, at least, I 

 have not succeeded ; but the roots, which 

 extend 10, 12, or I know not how many 

 feet, if cut into lengths of 8 inches, will 

 send up shoots that grow luxuriantly. 

 Yours, &c, Roswell L. Colt. 



Paters, n, Sej.t. 10, 1S49. 



[ Mr. Colt's experience with foreign 

 '< grapes in the open air precisely corres- 

 ponds with that of every other trial in our 

 knowledge. The evil, no doubt, lies in 

 i the climate, *ince nowhere are more deli- 

 I cious or finer grapes grown than in vineries 

 | in the northern states. Ed.] 



REMARKS ON BARK-BOUND CHERRY TREES. 



BY F. R. ELLIOTT, CLEVELAND, OHIO. 



In the last February number of the Horti- 

 culturist appeared an article from Prof. 

 Turner, of Illinois college, upon the dis- 

 ease of the cherry tree; attributing it al- 

 most entirely to the trees becoming "bark- 

 bound" and advising for its remedy the 

 peeling of the outer corticle of bark entire. 

 I have the greatest respect and esteem 

 for Prof. Turner as one of my own corres- 

 pondents, and as one who is doing much to 

 advance horticultural science at the west. 

 Yet, not having perfect faith in his theory, 

 I trust it will not be deemed uncourteous 

 in me to state what I consider the primary 

 cause and the ultimate remedy; provided, 

 in so doing, I occupy not too great a por- 

 tion of your columns. 



With an eye to this subject, I have, 

 during the four years past, examined large 

 numbers of cherry trees of all ages and 

 sizes, and growing upon varied soils. 



As Prof. Turner says, writers have ad- 

 vised various specifics ; one a blue clay, 

 another light, thin soil, etc. etc., and all, 

 like unto Mr. Allen's system of orchard- 

 ing, on a large scale, and laying his or- 

 chard down to grass, — being only to di- 

 minish the annual growth of the tree, by 

 lessening the amount of ascending sap, and 

 thereby producing a short growth of fine 

 close grain, fully ripened, and capable of 

 enduring the sudden and exciting changes 

 of our western climate. "Again, others 

 have shaded the trunks from the hot sun 



