CHOICE OF FRUIT TREES IN THE NURSERY. 33 



furnish them. Whatever species or varieties of fruit trees 

 are wanted, choose those that are vigorous and straight, and 

 of a healthy appearance. Whether they have been grafted 

 or budded, be careful to select such as have been worked 

 on young stocks. Grafts and buds inserted into old, crooked, 

 stunted stocks, seldom succeed well. Trees that are healthy, 

 have always a smooth, clean, shining bark; such as are 

 mossy, or have a rough, wrinkled bark, or are the least 

 affected by canker, should be rejected. Canker is discover- 

 able in the young wood, and generally two or three inches 

 above the graft or bud. If the tree be an Apricot, Nectar- 

 ine, Peach, or Plum, and any gum appears on the lower 

 part of it, do not fix upon that. Let the tree you select (if 

 a dwarf) be worked about six inches from the ground, and 

 only one graft or bud should be upon each stock, for when 

 there are more, the tree cannot be brought to so handsome 

 a form. 



In some of the following articles, it will be seen that 

 several descriptions of trees may be transplanted with safety, 

 even when far advanced in growth. When trees of four or 

 five years' growth, after having been headed down, that are 

 healthy, and well furnished with fruit-bearing wood close up 

 to the centre of the tree, can be obtained, they will do very 

 well ; but great care is requisite in taking up, removing, and 

 planting such. Let the tree be taken up with as great a 

 portion of the roots as possible, taking care not to bruise, 

 split, or damage them ; for want of attention to these points, 

 trees often become diseased. Whenever (notwithstanding 

 all due caution) any roots have been accidentally broken, 

 split, or otherwise damaged in taking up the tree, let them 

 be cut off; or if they cannot be well spared, let the damaged 

 or bruised part be pared clean with a sharp knife, and a por- 

 tion of the following composition be spread over the wound, 

 in order to keep the wet from it, which would othenvise 

 injure the tree : To equal parts of soft soap and tar, add a 

 little beeswax j let them be boiled together, and when cold 



