INSECTS — USES. 433 



away, and all branches for a distance of eighteen inches from the 

 crown cut away, thus leaving the tree with a stem or body of 

 eighteen inches — just sufficient to enable one to dig and cultivate 

 around it underneath the branches. The distance apart for trees 

 destined for an orchard should be about twelve feet each way. 

 The object of pruning orchard trees should be, to keep the head 

 open and regular — cutting away all crossing limbs and suckers. 

 "The bearing branches, or spurs of the quince, are small twiggy 

 shoots, produced on wood at least two years old. These bear two, 

 three, or more fruit-buds. These produce shoots two or three 

 inches long, on the point of which the fruit is borne singly. These 

 spurs have always wood-buds, as well as fruit-buds, and therefore 

 should be shortened back the spring after they have borne, in order 

 to produce new spurs at the same point." 



Insects, etc. — "Tlie borer sometimes proves a formidable enemy. 

 It is the larva of an insect which attacks the wood of the trunk, near 

 the surface of the ground, and works inwards, usually upwards, but 

 sometimes downwards, to a distance of several inches into the wood, 

 during the summer season. 



"As the borer frequently destroys the tree, various means of pre- 

 vention have been resorted to. The remedies described for the 

 apple-borer are found useful. When the insect has onc-e obtained 

 possession, the best method appears to be direct attack. Scrape 

 the soil from the trunk, and cut with a knife lengthwise?; and not 

 across the bark and wood, till the insects are found. Repeat the 

 operation once a week for several times, as a part escape the first 

 examination. Then cover the wounded parts with a mixture of 

 warm tar and ochre or brickdust. It is a great saving of labor to 

 arrest early their progress ; hence, trees should be examined fre- 

 quently. They may sometimes be extracted by a flexible barbed 

 wire, when cutting out would too much mutilate the tree." 



In spring or early summer months the ends of the branches often 

 turn black and die. By some, this is declared to be caused by an 

 insect, (scolytus,) and the remedy said to lie in the cutting off and 

 burning the branches. We do not so regard it, but believe it rather 

 caused by atmospheric change ; as a bright, clear, hot sun imme- 

 diately opening at about midday, after a warm, softening rain, will 

 often exhibit the result of blacking ends of young, tender shoots, in a 

 very few hours. 



Uses. — The quince is never eaten in a raw state, but has, from 

 the days of Columella, been highly esteemed for making of marma- 

 lade, preserving, stewing, to give additional flavor to tarts of apple 

 and of pastry, etc. In medicine, the expressed juice, repeatedly 

 taken in small quantities, is regarded as cooling, astringent, and 

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