

OF FRUIT TREES. 61 



some dirt from the side of the road was scattered 

 so as to fill up the interstices; since which the spots 

 near the trees have been cultivated by planting 

 four hills of potatoes round each tree. The result 

 has been tolerably favourable with all ; but the 

 trees having the stones placed at the roots have 

 exceedingly outstripped the others. The dimen- 

 sions of the trees in the first experiment a rich, 

 low, black, stony soil, drained were, at the expi- 

 ration of eight years, fifteen to seventeen inches in 

 circumference, one foot from the ground. This 

 may be considered (the tree being small when set 

 out) as a growth of about two inches a year. 

 The growth in the second experiment, for six 

 years, was twelve to fourteen inches, in the holes 

 in which the stones were put, one foot from the 

 ground. Where no stones were put, nine inches 

 was the growth. It will thus be perceived, that 

 the vegetation was most powerful under circumstan- 

 ces by nature least favourable. If, then, thus much 

 can be done to counteract such disadvantages, it 

 surely offers much encouragement to our efforts, and 

 leads us to hope, that not only in this, but in other 

 objects, they may be beneficially extended." 



ORCHARD PRUNING. 



It has been remarked, that the management of 

 orchards is capable of being reduced to a system, 

 under a lew general heads, connected in the prin- 

 ciple of making all trees in an orchard healthy, 

 round, large and beautiful. There is no part of 

 this* management, perhaps, so important, and which 

 requires more skill, and at the same time is so lit- 

 tle understood, as the process of orchard pruning. 

 The necessity of commencing, and annually repeat- 

 ing this operation in the nursery, has already been 

 inculcated. When, this discipline is properly put 

 in practice, at that early period of growth, ther 



