24: FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



tative principle of the tree may not be forced too 

 much. Moderation in the food of trees and the 

 vegetable kingdom is quite as much required as in 

 the animal, and that kind will be found to be the 

 best that acts the most uniform and regular for a 

 length of time. 



ART. 3. On Moisture. 



In speaking of moisture I shall confine the subject 

 principally to that which is imbibed by the root in 

 the natural location when the tree is growing. This 

 is essentially requisite to be known by the planter, 

 because different natural locations have different ef- 

 fects in the growth and health of fruit trees. The 

 Strawberry and Raspberry require a moist loca- 

 tion as do the Plum and Quince, whilst the Cherry 

 and Apple do better in a moderate dry soil ; now it 

 is not pretended that these fruits will not grow on 

 the opposite locations ; for the Raspberry and 

 Strawberry will grow on dry situations but their 

 produce will generally be discouraging. 



When moisture is too abundantly applied to trees 

 and plants in hot weather, it often happens that their 

 leaves are scalded when the sun acts freely on them, 

 this is owing to their leaves being overcharged with 

 water ; so that perspiration cannot take place speedy 

 enough to throw off the superabundant moisture be- 

 fore the rays of the sun scald the leaf. 



Every care should be taken by the planter to let 

 off a superabundance of surface water from the 

 ground that collects either from heavy rains or melt- 

 ing snow. When allowed to remain and saturate 

 the soil, the roots of trees are materially injured by 



