HOW TO RENOVATE AN OUTCAST. 



227 



Fig. 61. Renovating an 



meter. The roots — all the roots, large or 

 small — that extended beyond this ball, I 

 cut off; and I should judge that I cut off 

 about one-third of the roots ; or, as you 

 advised me, about an equal proportion to the 

 branches reduced. 



The trench itself, which was four feet 

 wide, I dug twenty inches deep ; and carted 

 away all the old soil from it to another part 

 of my garden. I next carted in an equal 

 quantity of soil from a field of good pasture, 

 where the sod had not been broken up for 

 several years. I drew this earth, composed 

 pretty largely of the sod itself, and filled 

 the trench around both trees. 



To each tree I then applied the following 

 substances, viz., two bushels of refuse or 

 scoriae from a blacksmith's forge, two bush- 

 els of charcoal pretty well broken, and two 

 pounds of potash well pulverized. These 

 substances I had on the spot, and mingled 

 them with the fresh soil as it was put in 

 the trench. After the trench was full of 

 soil containing these stimulants, I had the 

 whole of its contents thoroughly intermixed, 



" Outcast " Pear Tree. 



by turning them over ana over agam with 

 the spade. This is the whole of the pro- 

 cess. Now a word about the results. 



The first summer after the trees had been 

 operated upon — that of 1S44, 1 was surpris- 

 ed and delighted with the luxuriance and 

 vigor of the new growth. It was very 

 healthy, and had the appearance of that of 

 a very fine young tree. Suffice it to say, 

 the tree had formed a new and handsome 

 head. 



Next season, 1845, it blossomed mode- 

 rately. But almost every blossom set, and 

 gave me a fruit. Every fruit, to my great 

 joy and satisfaction, was large, fair and 

 smooth ; the growth was clean and healthy, 

 and the leaves dark green in color. 



This year, I have had a fine crop : two 

 bushels from one tree, four bushels from 

 the other. They were superb fruit — ge- 

 nuine, old-fashioned Virgalieus ; and I can- 

 not doubt that my trees will continue to 

 bear such for many years. 



I need not say, that I and many others 

 are convinced by this experiment, that the 



