19G BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



pear now on the fruit trees, and are already 

 beginning to do mischief to the little buds 

 some to those containing the leaf, and some to 

 those of the blossom. When 1 heard this, I 

 said, that if they could be picked off the blos- 

 soms, it would not signify much if some of the 

 leaves were destroyed ; but my uncle reminded 

 me that the leaves are necessary to the nou- 

 rishment of the fruit ; for unless there are leaves 

 to prepare the sap for that purpose, the fruit 

 withers away. 



It has been found, he says, by his friend Mr. 

 Knight, that where a peach branch had only 

 flower-buds on it, the grafting a leaf-bearing 

 twig to its extremity, so as to produce leaves, 

 was of great benefit to the young fruit. Mr. K. 

 having also observed that a melon plant began 

 to decline, which apparently had sufficient foliage 

 for the nourishment of its fruit, he examined 

 the plant more carefully, and discovered that a 

 runner had grown out of the frame at one end, 

 with an additional melon on it. He took this 

 one off, and the rest of the fruit again flourished. 



My uncle is going to try a new wash, which 

 can do no injury, and which has been much 

 recommended to him, for destroying the various 

 grubs and insects that are so mischievous to the 

 fruit-trees. He sent yesterday to Gloucester, 

 for some of the water through which coal gas 

 had been passed; and he had three gallons of it 



