558 APPENDIX. 



more natural treatment these trees receives generally. Va- 

 rieties of the vine are said never to degenerate, and this is 

 perhaps owing to their having very rarely been propagated by 

 grafting.* 



We are not without remedy for varieties that have partially 

 decayed in a certain district. If the trees have once been pro- 

 ductive of excellent fruit, and are still in a sound condition, 

 though enfeebled, a thorough renewal of their powers will 

 again restore them to health. To effect this, a heavy top dress- 

 ing of lime, and, if the soil is light, of loamy clay, should be re- 

 peated for a couple of seasons. The bark of the trunk and 

 large branches should be well scraped, and, as well as all the 

 limbs, thoroughly washed with soft soap. The head should be 

 moderately pruned. And finally the tree should be suffered to 

 bear no fruit for the two following seasons. After this it will 

 generally bear excellent fruit for several years again .f 



In making plantations of fine old varieties, in districts where 

 the stock has become feeble, resort should always be had for 

 grafts or trees to other interior localities, where the fruit is 

 still as fair as ever and care should be exercised in selecting 

 only the healthiest grafts or trees. Nurserymen in unfavoura- 

 ble districts should feel bound to propagate only from a stock of 

 healthy character, and if that in their own neighbourhood is 

 diseased, they should spare no pains to bring into their nurse- 

 ries and propagate only such as they feel confident are healthy 

 and sound. For on them, after all, depends mainly the gene- 

 ral vigour or debility of the stock of any given variety in the 

 country around them. 



In Mr. Knight's original essay on the decay of varieties, he 

 clearly stated a circumstance that most strongly proves what 

 we have here endeavoured to show viz : that the local decline 



* We do not deny that in any given soil there is a period at which a va- 

 riety of tree or plant exhibits most vigour, and after having grown there 

 awhile it ceases to have its former luxuriance. The same is true of wheat 

 or potatoes, and accordingly, farmers are in the habit of " changing their 

 seed." The nutriment for a given variety is after a time exhausted from 

 the soil, and unless it is again supplied the tree must decline. In light soils 

 this speedily happens. And then a fresh supply must be given, or a new 

 stock of healthy trees of the same variety must be obtained from some other 

 part of the country. 



f It is not uncommon to hear it said that the Newtown pippin that finest 

 of all apples is degenerating rapidly. Careless culture will undoubtedly 

 have its effect, if persisted in, even on this hardy tree. In the mean time 

 vre may state that never have there been finer Newtown pippins raised, or 

 in so large quantities, as at the present moment on the Hudson River. One 

 gentleman's orchards supply hundreds, we may say thousands of barrels to 

 the London markets of the fairest, largest, and highest flavoured fruit we 

 have had the pleasure of seeing or tasting. If any one will turn to page 

 62, he will speedily see why this variety haa not fallen into decay at Pel- 

 ham farm 



