204 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



when neglected to be topped. I would recommend 

 to cut out such shoots when the trees are pruned 

 in the spring, and to leave only the bearing wood, 

 which may be known by two small leaves, where 

 the flower-buds will be in the following year; (the 

 strong shoots having only one leaf bud at each eye ;) 

 and to pick off all side shoots near the tops of the 

 branches, as soon as they can laid hold of." 



In addition to the foregoing details, I must not 

 omit to recommend in strong terms other means of 

 preserving the health and vigour of this very valua- 

 ble tree, the fruit of which, when in perfection, is 

 perhaps equal, if not superiour to that most luscious 

 of the tropical fruits, the ananas. Since it is ascer- 

 tained that the fly deposits its eggs, which produce 

 the fatal worm, in the bark ? it is obvious that if the 

 stem of the tree could be enveloped with some 

 harmless substance, it might baffle the instinctive 

 faculties of the fly, or from its hardness, resist its 

 powers of attack. For this purpose, let the earth 

 around the roots and stem be removed, and its 

 place supplied with some one of the articles men- 

 tioned in page 105; after which, let the whole trunk 

 of the tree and large branches, from the surface of 

 the earth to the top, receive a good coating of the 

 composition of quicklime, cow-dung and clay, page 

 105. This would not be a very expensive expedient 

 even for an extensive orchard, and the preserva- 

 tion of the trees would be an ample reward; but 

 for a few favourite trees in the garden no person 

 need hesitate to try the experiment, even upon 

 young trees, at the time of transplanting. Should 

 it fail as a preventive remedy against the fly and 

 worm, (which is scarcely possible) the application 

 will have a tendency to increase the growth and 

 vigour of the tree. If in any of the uncovered 

 branches black spots or oozing of gum should be 

 discovered, let the branches be immediately cut 

 away, and the wound covered with the same com- 



