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CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



to the extent at least of four feet from the trunkj 

 and to a suitable depth, be dug up and carted away 

 to a distance from any trees the canker worms are 

 in the habit of feeding upon ; and let there be re- 

 turned an equal quantity of compost, or rich earth 

 intermixed with manure. The earth taken from 

 the trees, will make a substantial ingredient in 

 compost. If a few straggling canker worms appear 

 on any of the trees the spring following, let such 

 trees be marked, that the operation may be repeat- 

 ed the succeeding summer. The process proposed 

 will not only accelerate the growth, and increase 

 the fruitfulness of the trees, but will prove a con- 

 siderable guard to them against the depredations 

 of moles in the winter following; advantages which 

 will abundantly outweigh the whole expense. But 

 the pre-eminent advantage obtained, will be to have 

 captured those destructive invaders, broken up 

 and completely destroyed their encampments. 

 Annual tarring, the only remedy in general use, 

 instead of being beneficial to the trees, is allowed 

 on all hands to be injurious. The seasons being 

 variable, it requires considerable care and skill to 

 know when to begin ; if one day too late, some of 

 the canker moths will have ascended the trees ; 

 if four days too early, so much labour and tar 

 are lost. The same difficulty occurs in knowing 

 when to cease tarring. The business must be 

 attended to exactly in the right time, whether 

 it rain or shine, and the operation repeated 

 considerably more than twenty times in every 

 season ; and the average of various estimates of 

 the annual expense of tarring each tree amounts 

 to full ten cents. The method I have proposed, 

 says Mr. K., appears to be perfectly adapted to 

 the convenience of the practical farmer. He will 

 avoid the trouble and expense of purchasing and 

 applying tar, lime, or any other article ; he can 

 perform the operation when most at leisure, and 



