220 THE ORCHARD. [MARCH. 



When any of your old fruit-trees, which you particularly esteem, 

 appear on the decline, and are grown thin of young wood, you may 

 probably restore them, by heading clown such limbs as are in the 

 worst state, to those parts where young shoots appear, and dose to the 

 most -vigorous ; but be careful not to do this generally, the same 

 season, for that would give too sudden a check to the sap, and in all 

 probability destroy the tree totally. But if every other branch all 

 over the tree were headed at proper lengths, each close to some 

 young shoot, new healthy wood would be produced, which would 

 soon come into bearing. The next spring after the first branches 

 were headed, the remaining old branches may be cut out, as directed 

 above ; after which, the head of the tree will be soon filled with bear- 

 ing wood, which may afterwards be pruned as directed for other 

 trees. This may be practised on either standard, wall, or espalier 

 trees. 



Peaches and nectarines will require to be treated with more cau- 

 tion than any other kinds ; never head them lower down than you 

 find young shoots or healthy branches, otherwise you will endanger 

 their lives ; and always cut close to the most vigorous of these, in 

 order that the sap may be drawn that way, by which the wounds 

 will heal and cover over. Indeed this caution will be generally 

 useful, but more particularly with these. 



When any of the trunks of your trees become hollow, cut out 

 all the loose rotten wood, and also examine the roots, cutting off 

 the injured, rotten, or decayed parts. 



As you proceed in pruning, apply to the wounds either of the 

 preceding compositions which you prefer, in the manner directed ; 

 but if your trees are annoyed with worms, the medicated tar is de- 

 cidedly preferable. 



Examine now your fruit-trees, particularly the peaches ; and 

 if annoyed with worms either in their trunks, branches, 

 about the surface of the ground, and a little under ; pick out as 

 many as you can with a sharp-pointed knife, and with as little inju- 

 ry to the bark as possible ; scrape off clean, all the gum that appears 

 on the stem, or branches, and wash all these parts, and any other, 

 that you suspect to be infested with these insects or their embryos, 

 with the corrosive solution prescribed in page 134, which you may 

 make twice or three times as strong as there directed, without the 

 least fear of its injuring the tree ; then dress the wounded parts with 

 the medicated tar, as there directed. 



I have at the present time (January 1805), and have had for seve- 

 ral weeks, the roots of Polyanthus-Narcissus', hyacinth's, and other 

 bulbs, growing in bulb-glasses, filled with a much stronger solution 

 of the corrosive sublimate, than that prescribed in page 1 34, and 

 apparently in more health and vigour, than those which are growing 

 in pure water : I have also washed the leaves, stems, and branches, 

 of various kinds of tender plants with it, poured it on the earth 

 about their roots in large quantities, without any other effect, than 

 the destruction of the earth worms, and those which annoyed the 

 plants, 



