ABOUT FRUITS, FLO WEES AND FARMING. 251 



for use, as fast as it is sent up to it from the root through 

 the interior sap-passages. In the leaf, the sap gives off and 

 receives, certain properties ; and when thus elaborated, it 

 is charged with all those elements required for the forma 

 tion and sustentation of every part of vegetable fabric. 

 Descending, it gives out its various qualities, till it reaches 

 the root ; and whatever is left then passes out into the soil. 



Every man will perceive that if a tree is pruned in spring 

 before it has a leaf out, there is no sap provided to repair 

 the wound. A slight granulation may take place, in certain 

 circumstances, and in some kinds of plants, from the ele 

 ments with which the tree was stored during the former 

 season ; but, in point of fact, a cut usually remains without 

 change until the progress of spring puts the whole vege 

 table economy into action. 



In young and vigorous trees, this process may not seem to 

 occasion any injury. But trees growing feeble by age will 

 soon manifest the result of this injudicious practice, by 

 blackened stumps, by cankered sores, and by decay. 



If one must begin to do something that looks like spring- 

 work, let him go at a more efficient train of operations. 

 With a good spade invert the sod for several feet from the 

 body of the tree. With a good scraper remove all dead 

 bark. Dilute (old) soft soap with urine; take a stiff shoe- 

 brush, and go to scouring the trunk and main branches. 

 This will be labor to some purpose ; and before you have 

 gone through a large orchard faithfully, your zeal for spring- 

 Avork will have become so far tempered with knowledge, 

 that you will be willing to let pruning alone till after corn- 

 planting. 



Two exceptions or precautions should be mentioned. 

 - 1 . In the use of the wash ; new soap is more caustic than 

 old ; and the sediments of a soap barrel much more so tli.in 

 the mass of soap. Sometimes trees have been injured by 

 applying a caustic alkali in too great strength. There is 

 little danger of this when a tree is rough and covered with 



