438 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



neglected, and more or less of the branches are 

 dead ; and the remainder appear stunted in growth, 

 yet bear some ordinary fruit. The soil is good, 

 rocky, upland loam, — never having been ploughed 

 or reduced by cultivation. Can I make anything 

 out of the old trees by pruning and grafting them? 

 or had f better cut them down and reset the 

 ground with young trees? A Subscriber. Chesh- 

 ire county, N. H., Dec, 1849. 



[If the trees are not in their period of decay, 

 that is, if they are not past the middle age, graft 

 them over by all means. See the account of 

 grafting old trees in our last volume, by our cor- 

 respondent at Hartford. Ed.] 



Protecting Trees against Mice. — As this 

 is the time for young fruit trees to suffer from 

 being barked by mice and rabbits, a suggestion may 

 not come amiss to some readers, from one who 

 has lost fine trees in this way. In the course of 

 the summer of 1848, observing that the mice were 

 commencing their gnawings on some young fruit 

 trees, I prepared the soot and milk prescription, 

 and administered a coat to the whole lot — some 

 two hundred. I noticed no more of their opera- 

 tions, until in the winter, it was found they were 

 at work in a pretty large way ; but in hopes they 

 would have some little compunction, and not gir- 

 dle any trees, the matter was left over till the 

 spring of 1849. [The soot and milk should be 

 newly applied at the commencement of win- 

 ter. Ed.] Upon examination then, it was found 

 that numbers were completely girdled; and dis- 

 covering them one after the other, in rapid suc- 

 cession, it was enough to make one sick. They 

 who plant and watch the growth of these inte- 

 resting objects, can appreciate the feelings of 

 those who lose them. The trees were thrifty, two 

 and three years old; and after sighing over the 

 loss of some forty of them, the climax was capped 

 by finding the thrifty Bartlett, which had borne 

 fine fruit, was irreparably lost. This determined 

 me upon tinning each tree; and I immediately 

 procured a box of tin in sheets 14-J-20 inches, 

 which were cut in half, making sheets 14-f-10 

 inches, and by making them into tubes — say 

 around a shovel handle — 14 inches long, we had 

 a protection for each tree until it shall grow to 

 be — say 3 inches in diameter. These were se- 

 cured around the trees by thin wires, one at the 

 top and another at the bottom, except in the case 

 of peaches and other rapid growers, where the 

 wire was omitted, — the tin retaining its shape and 

 protecting the tree, yet not interfering with its 

 growth. With those of slower growth, the wires 

 may be left until the size of the tree makes it ne- 

 cessary to remove them. The tins, from their 

 shape, will still protect,— yielding as the tree in- 

 creases in size. 



So far, it has answered the purpose. They 

 were put around the trees last 6th mo., (June,) 

 and as yet, neither trees nor tins are disturbed. 

 I was compelled to tin horse-chestnuts also, — se- 



veral being injured ; and one girolled by these lit- 

 tle operators. 



I suggest tinning to those readers who value 

 their trees, and are in localities exposed to such 

 depredators. The cost of the tin, from N. Trot- 

 ter & Sons, Philadelphia, was then $10 per box 

 of 100 sheets, each of which, cut in half, made 

 them 200 sheets; the cost of each sheet being 

 then 5 cents, and the turning the tins and putting 

 around the trees being done by oneself in scraps 

 of time, the cost for each tree, including wire, is 

 not more than 6 cents. One hundred trees will 

 then cost $6. and the owner be saved from watch- 

 ing, and mixing, and repeating sooting, and, in 

 some cases, from the loss of fine trees. Had my 

 trees been tinned before, it would have cost — say 

 $12, but would have saved what was worth to 

 me $30. All which is respectfully submitted, by 

 thy constant reader and friend, C. L. S. Phila- 

 delphia, 5th mo., 1850. 



Old Time Horticulture. — The following 

 letter of Collinson, one of the most noted bota- 

 nists of an hundred years ago, contains hints of 

 the most prevalent notions of culture now-a-days; 

 and will make our readers who believe, with 

 Solomon, that there is " nothing new under the 

 sun," feel quite complacent. The " beetle" is, no 

 doubt, our curculio. Collinson w r as evidently a 

 sound horticulturist. " Littering Gooseberries" is 

 the last of our modern notions ; and here Collin- 

 son urges it a century ago ! Ed. 



Now, Friend John, I come to consider further 

 of some of thy observations, by thine of the 10th 

 of December. I am glad to find that thee art so 

 so well recovered, and that all I he goods are 

 come safe to hand, and please; which is more 

 than I expected, and ought not to excuse thee 

 from being more particular and exact in thy or- 

 ders next time. 



Though thou canst not see, yet I have told 

 thee what inoculating on a peach stock may do. 

 If I am not out in my conjecture — as it is a free 

 stock, and sends up its sap plentifully — it may 

 assist the nectarine and apricot, at a season when 

 supplies are wanting. As thou hast tried the 

 north side of building, and sides of water courses, 

 &c, to no purpose, with plums, pray give the 

 other fruits as fair a chance. 



To prevent the depredations of the beetle, I 

 confess, is not so easy as some other bad effects; 

 yet, as we know the duration of this insect is but 

 short, if, while he is so noxious, some contrivance 

 could be found out to disturb or destroy him, you 

 then might hope to taste a nectarine, — one of the 

 most delicious fruits in the universe, and much 

 exceeds a peach, in a rich, vinous-flavored juice. 

 And an apricot is also one of the fine fruits. 

 Last year our standards were overloaded, which 

 are allowed to excel the wall fruit. 



Suppose, as soon as this beetle is discovered, if 

 the trees were to be smoked, with burning straw 

 under them, or at some distance, so as to furni* 



