CAN 



121 



CAN 



energy, and consequent inability to I applied. It must be only a tree of very 

 imbibe and elaborate the nourisliment I weak vital powers, such as is the golden 



necessary to sustain its Irame in vigour, 

 and much less to supply the healthy 

 development of new parts. It matters 

 not whether its energy be broken down 



pippin, that will bear the general cut- 

 ting of the annual shoots Tis pursued by 

 Mr. Williams ; a new vigorous variety 

 would exhaust itselfthe following year 



by an unnatural rapiility of growth, by | in the production of fresh wood. No 

 a disproporlioned excfss of branches thing beyond a general rule for the 

 over the mass of roots, by old age, or j pruning can be laid down, and it 

 by the disorganiz:ition of the roots in an | amounts to no more than the direction 

 u'ngenial soil ; they render the tree in- j to keep a considerable vacancy between 

 capable of e.\tracting sufficient nourish- j every branch, both above and beneath 

 nient from the soil, consequently inca- j it, and especially to provide that not 

 pable of developing a sufficient foliage ;! even two twigs shall chafe against 

 and therefore unable to digest and ela- [ each other. The greater the intensity 

 borate even the scanty sap that is sup- i of light, and the freer the circulation of 

 plied to them. The reason of the sap ! air amongst the foliage of the tree, the 

 becoming unnaturally saline, appears to ] better the chance for its healthy vege- 

 be, that in proportion as the vigour of tation. If the disease being in a jruit 

 any vegetable declines, it loses the tree be a consequence of old age, it is 

 power of selecting by its roots the I probably a premature senility induced 

 nourishment congenial to its nature. ; by injudicious management, for very 

 An ungenial soil would have a debili- j few of our varieties are of an age that 

 tating influence upon the roots, in a , insure to them decrepitude. I have 

 proportionate though less violent de-1 never yet known a tree, unless it was 

 gree than a corrosive poison ; and as i in the last stage of decay, that could 

 these conse(iuently would absorb solu- not be recovered by giving it more air 

 ble bodies more 'freely, and without and light, by careful heading in pruning, 

 that discrimination so absolutely ncccs- improvement of the soil, and cleansing 

 sary for a healthy vegetation, so the j the bark 



other most essential organs of nutrition, 

 the leaves of the weakened plants, 

 would promote and accelerate the dis- 

 ease. These, reduced in number and 

 size, do not properly elaborate the sap ; 

 and I have always found that under 

 such circumstances these stunted or- 

 gans exhale the aqueous policies of 

 the sap very abundantly, wmlst their 

 power of absorption is greatly rcduceil. 

 The sap thus deficient in quantity and 

 increased in acridity seems to corrode 

 and atl'ect the vascular system of the 

 tree in the manner already described. 

 These facts afford us most important 

 guides in attaining the desired objects, 

 the prevention and cure of the disease. 

 If super-luxuriance threaten its intro- 

 duction, the best remedy is for the cul- 

 tivator to remove one of the main roots 

 of the tree, and to be particularly care- 

 ful not to add any fertile addition to the 

 soil within tlieir range. On the con- 

 trary, it will he well, if the continued 

 exuberant growth shows the necessity, 

 for the staple of the soil to be reduced 

 in fertility, by the admixture of one less 



If the soil by its ungenial character 

 induces the disease, the obvious and 

 only remedy is its amelioration ; and if 

 the subsoil is the cause of the mischief, 

 the roots must be prevented striking 

 into it. In all cases it is the best prac- 

 tice to remove the tap root. Many 

 orchardists pave beneath each tree with 

 tiles and broken bricks. If the trees 

 are planted shallow, as they ought to 

 be, and the surface kept duly fertile, 

 there is not much danger of the roots 

 striking into the worse pasturage of the 

 subsoil. On this point the experience 

 of Mr. \V. Nichol, the gardener at 

 Newick-place in Sussex, agrees with 

 my own. He says, that the canker 

 may be avoided in most instances, by 

 paying proper attention to the soil in 

 which the tree is planted. Canker, he 

 thinks, will seldom occur if the surface 

 soil is good, for in that case the roots 

 will never descend into the prejudicial 

 subsoil, but spread out their radicles 

 near the surface, where they find food 

 most abundant. If this is not kept up, 

 the roots descend into the obnoxious 



fertile, or even of drift sand. If there i substratum, and the disease assuredly 



be an excess of branches, the saw and follows. 



the pruning knife must be gradually! It remains for me to detail the course 



