AMERICAN GARDENER. 193 



stroy them. Pull, er scrape, off all rough bark 

 at the bottom of the stem. If you even fieel off 

 the outside bark a foot or two up, in case there be 

 insects, it will be the better. Wash the stems 

 with water, in which tobacco has been soaked ; 

 and do this, whether you find insects or not. 

 Put the tobacco into hot water, and let it soak 

 24 hours, before you use the water. This will 

 destroy, or drive away, all insects. 



297. But, though, for the purpose of removing 

 all harbour for insects yon make the ground smooth 

 just round the stem of the tree, let the rest of 

 the ground lay as rough as you can ; for the 

 .rougher it lies the more will it be broken by the 

 frost, which is a great enricher of all land. When 

 the spring comes, and the ground is dry at the 

 top, give the whole of the ground a good deep 

 hoeing, which will make it level and smooth 

 enough. Then go on again hoeing throughout the 

 summer, and watching well all attempts of in- 

 sects on the stems and bark of the trees. 



298. Diseases of trees are various in their kind ; 

 but, nine times out of ten they proceed from the 

 root. Insects are much more frequently an effect 

 than a cause. If the disease proceed from blight \ 

 there is no prevention, except that which is sug- 

 gested by the fact, that feeble and sickly trees are 

 frequently blighted when healthy ones are not ; 

 but, when the insects come, they add greatly to the 

 evil. They are generally produced by the dis- 

 ease, as maggots are by putrefaction. The ants 

 are the only active insect for which there is not a 

 cure; and I know of no means of destroying 

 them, but finding out their nests and pouring 

 boiling water on them. A line dipped in tar tied 



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