On Peach Trees. 19 



and to make its deposits. I pour around the butt of the 

 tree, beginning about one foot above the ground, a 

 quart or more (not being nice about the quantity) of 

 boiling hot soap suds or water. This kills the egg or 

 worm lodged in the tender bark ; and of course prevents 

 its ravages the next season. I carefully search the trees, 

 though I seldom find worms. I do not perceive any 

 injury from this operation. I have discovered worms 

 in or near the roots of the smallest stocks taken from 

 the nursery. These I frequently plunge into boilinq^ 

 water, before planting. I lose very few; and do not 

 attribute the losses to the hot water. I have the trees 

 bared at the roots, exposed to the winter. I have lost 

 some in the way described by Mr. Cooper ; but I still 

 continue the practice. I have been in the habit of do- 

 ing this for ten or twelve years, and prefer it to any 

 ©ther treatment. To supply deficiencies, I plant young 

 trees every year. By these means, I have generally 

 fruit enough for my family, and frequently very abun- 

 dant crops. How long I shall continue to prosper by 

 this practice, is yet problematical. I have now some of 

 the most healthy trees I ever possessed. When trees 

 become sickly, I grub them up ; I find that sickly trees 

 often infect, those in vigour near them, by some mor- 

 bid effluvia. The young trees supply their loss, and I 

 have no trouble in nursing those in a state of decay ; 

 which is commonly a hopeless task. 



I have been thus particular, to justify the inference 

 from this statement — that, in this part of the country 

 peach trees cannot be profitably cultivated on an ex- 

 tensive scale. — But we may have great abundance of 

 their delicious fruit, in every variety-, if every farmer 



