80 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



stroyed. As a remedy for this serious evil, a coat of 

 the above mentioned clay paint, or Forsyth's compo- 

 sition, it is presumed will prove effectual. Tanners 7 

 bark put round the roots of apple and other fruit trees 

 has been found to be of great utility. It keeps the 

 ground loose, prevents the growth of suckers and 

 grass, and guards against worms and insects. 



DISEASES AND OTHER INCIDENTS WHICH RENDER FRUIT 

 TREES UNPRODUCTIVE. 



All the maxims relative to fruit trees, it is said, 

 centre in the word health. The great object of the 

 fruit farmer, says Marshall, is to produce a crop every 

 year ; and nothing is more likely to obtain it, than 

 keeping the trees in perfect health, and endeavouring 

 to prevent their bearing beyond their strength, in a 

 general fruit year. The enemies of fruit trees, says 

 the author, are a redundancy of wood, moss, spring 

 frosts, blights, insects, an excess of fruit, old age. To 

 these should be added canker. Some of them are be- 

 yond human reach, but most of them are within the 

 control of art. The term blight is of vague significa- 

 tion. Black blighting winds are talked of every 

 where, but no definite idea is any where affixed to 

 the expression. That corn and fruit become unpro- 

 ductive without any visible cause, and that fruit trees 

 are liable to be infected with insects, are certainly 

 facts. But whether inserts be the cause or the effect 

 of blights, does not appear to be yet settled. With 

 respect to blights, all the assistance which art can ren- 

 der, is to keep the trees in a state of healthful ness, 

 and prevent, as much as possible, an excess of fruit, 

 As old age cannot be prevented, we have only to con- 

 sider how the productiveness of trees may be pro- 

 tracted. I have seen, says he, healthy bearing apple 

 trees which now wear their second fop. The first 



