120 SELECTING, PLANTING, AND CULTIVA'nON. 



INTIGOEATING OLD TREES. 



The cause of the want of vigor, slow growth, and some 

 or entire cessation of increase in pear trees of con- 

 siderable size, is generally the exhaustion of the soil 

 within the range of their roots ; the whole energy of 

 the trees being devoted to sustaining the fruit buds and 

 spurs, no wood growtli can be made while this exhaust- 

 ive fruit production proceeds. Tliere is also an entire 

 suspension of the absorptive and perspiratory func- 

 tions of tlie bark caused by the incrustation of dead 

 bark, moss, and fungi that cover the tree. The aged 

 roots have lost their radicles, and do not possess the 

 power to push out spongioles into new and unex- 

 hausted soil. 



Tliese conditions suggest at once the remedy. A 

 trench should be dug around the tree, at about as many 

 feet distant from it as there are inches in the diameter 

 of the trunk, though rarely farther than six or j^ight 

 feet. This trench should be at least two or three feet 

 wide, and as deep as the roots penetrate, the latter 

 being pruned off with a smooth cut. The sods around 

 the trees should be jDared off to the depth of four or 

 five inches, and mixed with manure to fill the trench, 

 and a good generous compost of new earth and barn- 

 yard manure should be put around the tree in place 

 of the sods removed. The olc^ and feeble branches 

 having only fruit spurs, should be shortened in such a 

 manner as to form a handsome top. The rough fun- 

 gus bark should be gently scraped away, care being 

 taken not to expose the vital bark beneath. A better 

 method is to wash with strong soap-suds or potash 



