FEB.] THE ORCHARD. 149 



Thus the fruits will ripen earlier by two months or more in some, 

 than their natural time of perfection in the open ground and full air. 



In the above forcing departments you may also place pots of cur- 

 rants, raspberries, and strawberries, &c. 



THE ORCHARD. 



The feelings of a lover of improvement can scarcely be expressed 

 on observing the almost universal inattention paid to the greater 

 number of our Orchards, and that people who go to a considerable 

 expense in planting and establishing them, afterwards leave them to 

 the rude hand of nature, as if the art and ingenuity of man availed 

 nothing, or that they merited no further care ; however, it is to be 

 hoped that the good example and the consequent success of the care- 

 ful and industrious, will stimulate others to pay the necessary atten- 

 tion to these departments, and thereby to serve themselves as well as 

 the community at large. 



At this season you can conveniently perform the very necessary 

 and important works of pruning, of scraping and rubbing off moss 

 and other parasitic plants, and of manuring the ground where 

 wanted ; and as much depends on these dressings, they should by 

 no means be neglected, more especially as this is a very eligible time 

 for performing them, and one with which other business does not fre- 

 quently interfere. 



For the method of pruning these trees and other necessary observa- 

 tions, I refer you to the article Orchard, last month, page 56, &c. 



Where trees are much overrun with moss, it may be removed as 

 directed in page 57, or a strong man with a good birch broom in a 

 wet day would do great execution. The best method of destroying 

 moss on young trees, is to rub all the branches affected, in spring or 

 autumn, or in both if necessary, with a hard scrubbing-brush and 

 soap-suds. This will not only remove the moss, but tend consider- 

 ably to prevent its sudden return. 



Canker in a great measure arises from animalcules, or small or very 

 minute insects or worms, &c., of various kinds ; where this is the case, 

 cut out the whole of the cankered part, clean to the sound wood, wash 

 the part well with the following solution, and also all other parts that 

 seem to be in the least affected, then give it a light coat of the medi- 

 cated tar prescribed in page 58. 



Dissolve a drachm of corrosive sublimate in a gill of gin or other 

 spirit, and when thus dissolved incorporate it with four quarts of soft 

 water. This solution will be found to be the most effectual remedy 

 ever applied to trees, both for the destruction of worms of every 

 species, and of the eggs of insects deposited in the bark. No danger 

 to the trees is to be apprehended from its poisonous quality, which 

 in respect to them is perfectly innocent. 



Peach-trees which are annoyed by worms, should, towards the end 

 of this month, particularly near and a little under the surface of the 



