FRUIT TREES. 



119 



upon its merits, but it contains prima 

 facie evidence of its great worth. The 

 work is for sale by Thomas, Copper- 

 thwaite & Co. 



, United States Gazette. 



THE SYRIAN SHEEP, 



Brought to this country, by Com- 

 modore Elliot, may be seen at the Mal- 

 hausen Works, below the Navy Yard. 

 The fleece of this animal is that used in 

 the manufacture of the Cashmere shawl 

 of the East. — lb. 



A NEW ALLOY. 



The American Sentinel states, that the 

 French Academy is investigating a new 

 alloy of zinc and copper, that resists sul- 

 phuric acid of 20 degrees concentration. 

 It costs but little more than zinc. Tin 

 and lead are also added for certain pur- 

 poses, in proportions that will not 

 augment the cost more than a farthing a 

 pound. 



CHERRIES, ETC. 



Cherries and all kinds of berries may 

 be kept a year, by partially drying them, 

 until they are wilted — then put them into 

 wide necked bottles, cork them tight, put 

 a coating of sealing wax over the corks, 

 or tye a cork plaster over them; — a cork 

 plaster may be made by dipping pieces 

 of thin silk into a solution of isinglass, glue 

 and water, then dip silk in the white of 

 eggs several times, dry them, and they 

 are fit for use. Jars of sweetmeats may 

 also be kept a longtime in the same way. 



An effectual method of preserving eggs 

 fresh and sweet, many months: dip them 

 in hot oil or lard while fresh, place them 

 in a box of dry bran, chaff or sand, keep 

 them in a cool place. 



CEMENT. 



A strong cement for mending earthen 

 ware may be made by mixing equal quan- 

 tities of flour and powdered alum, inti- 

 mately with cold water; heat the mixture 

 gradually, stirring it all the while until it 

 >>boils; use it when hot — let the articles 

 cemented be perfectly dry before using 

 them. 



FRUIT TREES. 



While young, no tree should be per- 

 mitted to bear a large quantity of fruit, 

 and if it abound in blossoms, the fruit 

 should be gathered as soon as formed, 

 leaving only half a dozen of the produce 

 to ascertain its size and quality; by this 

 measure the trees will not only produce 

 larger and finer fruit, but by being kept 

 clear, the leading and collateral branches 

 will every year become more vigorous. 

 Nor ought any young plant, or newly 

 engrafted tree be permitted to run mop- 

 headed, as it will make no progress, till 

 each branch has acquired a determined 

 leader ; for, if the growth of a tree be 

 prevented, it will be extremely difficult 

 to throw such energy into the system, as 

 to enable it to grow freely. As long as 

 fruit trees continue in the nursery, it will 

 be requisite to cut down the head, in 

 order to give strength and symmetry to 

 the stem; it will also be useful to shorten 

 most of the grafts, lest they should be 

 blown out by the wind; these operations 

 likewise contribute to swell the buds. In 

 selecting the branches of fruit trees to be 

 preserved and trained, care should be ob- 

 served that the branches which grow from 

 the main trunk or body of the tree, shall 

 not be at too acute an angle, nor that the 

 trunk terminate at two branches which 

 meet at too acute an angle, forming what 

 is usually termed a main fork; in either 

 case (particularly in the peach tree,) there 

 is always a liability in those parts to be 

 rent asunder by the force of wind, or by 

 the weight of fruit ; but this danger is 

 prevented in a great degree by allowing 

 only those branches to remain, which 

 issue from the main trunk alternately on 

 opposite sides at different distances from 

 the ground, and no two branches permit- 

 ted to remain opposite to each other, and 

 the whole branches of the tree selected 

 so as to preserve its general strength, and 

 at the same time permit the air and light 

 between the branches sufficient to ripen 

 the fruit; no rule can be laid down upon 

 this subject except those of general cha- 

 racter, the judgment of the person per- 

 forming the operation of pruning must 

 always direct the particular operation. 

 A tree generally grows with a more per- 



