252 GARDENING. 



as already stated, consists in rubbing off redundant 

 or ill-placed buds), nor that of winter, if confined to 

 the removal of fractured or unsound wood, or 

 branches too much multiplied or crossing each oth- 

 er.* The nature of the Morello will, however, ren- 

 der it an exception to the general rule here recom- 

 mended; for, instead of bearing, like other varie- 

 ties, on two, three, and even four year old wood, its 

 fruit is generally produced on shoots of the last 

 year, and rarely, if ever, on even two year old wood. 

 Whence it follows that, with regard to this variety, 

 our aim in both summer and winter pruning ought 

 to be " a removal of old and a provision of new 

 bearers." 



In renovating an old tree pursue Forsyth's meth- 

 od ; shorten it to a stump not more than 18 inches 

 high ; remove the old soil from the roots ; replace it 

 with that of upland pasture, on a layer of stone or 

 some other impervious body, two feet below the 

 surface, and encourage a single shoot. 



Cherry-trees in general are not much affected 

 by insects. Of this class the red spider is their 

 greatest enemy in England ; and in Scotland an in- 

 sect called the black beetle, which Naismith found 

 the means of killing " by burning under the trees a 

 mixture of pitch, orpiment, and sulphur, and then 

 giving them a good washing with the garden en- 

 gine." Birds are here a more potent enemy; and 

 the best remedy against them are old fishnets 

 thrown over the trees, clapboards, scarecrows, and 

 fusees. 



The PEACH-TREE (Amygdalus Persica) is a native 

 of Asia, and was first brought to Rome during the 

 reign of the Emperor Claudius.f A circumstance 

 worth remarking in even our short notice of its his- 



* Caledonian Memoirs, vol. i, p. 427. 



t Mentioned by Columella (in his work on Gardens), and also 

 y Pliny. 



