OF FRUIT TREES. 199 



" In the spring, when the blossoms are out, clear 

 away the dirt so as to expose the root of the tree, 

 to the depth of three inches; surround the tree 

 with straw about three feet long, applied length- 

 wise, so that it may have a covering, one inch 

 thick, which extends to the bottom of the hole, 

 the butt ends of the straw 7 resting upon the ground 

 at the bottom ; bind tin's straw round the tree 

 with three bands, one near the top, one at the mid- 

 dle, and the third at the surface of the earth; then 

 fill up the hole at the root with earth, and press it 

 closely round the straw. When the white frosts 

 appear, the straw should be removed, and the 

 tree remain uncovered till the blossoms put out in 

 the spring. 



" By this process, the fly is prevented from de- 

 positing its pgg within three feet of the root, and 

 although it may place the egg above that distance, 

 the worm travels so slow that it cannot reach the 

 ground before frost, and therefore it is killed be- 

 fore it is able to injure the tree. 



"The truth of the principle is proved by the 

 following fact. I practised this method with a 

 large number of peach trees, and they flourished 

 remarkably well, without any appearance of inju- 

 ry from the worm, for several years, when I was 

 induced to discontinue the straw with about twenty 

 of them. Jill those which are without the straw have 

 declined, while the others, which have had the straw, 

 continue as vigorous as ever" Thus far Mr. E. 



" To guard against frost, plant the trees where 

 the water will run off, and procure the sweetest 

 and richest fruit, as the inferiour qualities are more 

 injured by cold. 



" The splitting of the tree at the forks is guard- 

 ed against by preserving as many upright branches 

 as can be spared, by breaking off, in bearing years, 

 more than half the quantity of fruit while small, 

 and by pruning almost the whole of every branch 



