C20 William Demiing, EJq. on the decay of Apple Trees* 



A long time this diforder baffled my moil critical refearches, 

 As I oblerved the young, remote, and tender fhoots firft 

 afFeded, I traced the malady to the fpot where the fap ceafed 

 to flow, but could difcover no external caufe. On the fecond 

 year I found the boughs wounded deeper, and progreffing 

 yearly, the trees continued to ficken, and in fix or feven 

 years died. It is to be obferved, that every fpring the trees 

 appear in full vigour (^except the limbs already periihed from 

 the former years attacks) and continue fo until the latter end 

 of June, or beginning of July, when fuddenly the leaves 

 wither, turn red, and ibon fall off; the whole tree appears 

 fick, and the fruit full of fpots, and unpromifmg ; hence the 

 indifferent appearance of many of our apples brought to 

 market for fale, few of them being fair and fniocth as they 

 form.erly were. 



As foon as the leaves fail off, as above defcribed, it will 

 then appear how far the tree is affected for this fe'dion. 



Finding all my efforts to difcover the caufe in vain, I 

 hazarded feveral experiments ; among others, two years fmce, 

 I laid bare the roots of two favourite pear trees in the month 

 of Oftober, and left them fo until May following : one of 

 thefe trees was fo injured, that I had no jiiopes of its 

 recovery. Laft year they Ihewed few or no additional 

 fymptoms of the difeafe, were very full of fruit, and had a 

 great fupply of new flioots ; this year, both trees were very 



