CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



new variety produced from the seed. This, ac the 

 original stock, may continue to live one hundred 

 years. A scion, taken from it when ten years old, 

 may live ninety years ; another, taken ten years af- 

 ter, may enjoy a duration of "eighty years ; and so 

 progressively. At the expiration of one hundred 

 years, the original stock, and all derivatives from it, 

 will become extinct. 



METHOD OF FORCING FRUIT TREES TO BLOSSOM AND 

 BEAR FRUIT. 



With a sharp knife, cut a ring round the limb or 

 small branch which you wish should bear, near the 

 stem or large bough where it is joined ; let this ring 

 or cut penetrate to the wood. A quarter of an 

 inch from this cut, make a second like the first, en- 

 circling the branch like a ring a quarter of an inch 

 broad between the two cuts. The bark, between 

 these two cuts, must be removed, clean down to the 

 wood ; even the fine inner bark, which lies immedi- 

 ately upon the wood, must be scraped away, until 

 the bare naked wood appears, white and smooth, 

 so that no connexion whatever remains between 

 the two parts of the bark. This barking, or gird- 

 ling, must be made at the precise time when, in all 

 nature, the buds are strongly swelling, or about 

 breaking out into blossoms. In the same year a 

 callus is formed at the edges of the ring, on both 

 sides, and the connexion of the bark is again restor- 

 ed, without any detriment to the tree or the branch 

 operated upon. By this simple operation, the fol- 

 lowing advantages will be obtained : 1. Every 

 young tree, of which you do not know the sort, is 

 compelled to show its fruit, and decide sooner whe- 

 ther it may remain in its present state, or requires 

 to be grafted. 2. You may thereby, with certain- 

 ty, get fruit of a good sort, and reject the more or- 

 dinary. The branches so operated upon, are hung 



