No. 4. 



Rural Life. — Pruning Fruit-Trees. 



117 



where is no longer the complaint, so usual 

 about this season of the year, that " the sprinor.. 

 house has lost its power of cooling the milk ;" 

 and here the milk never freezes during tiie 

 coldest winter. 



Through the back yard leads the path to 

 another garden at the end of the house, where 

 are found cucumbers, melons in their varie- 

 ties, egg-plants, and curious specimens of ve- 

 getables, amongst the rest one plant of the 

 immense cabbage now advertised, as affording 

 food for a dairy of cows or a small flock of 

 sheep, (fee, but which do not come to matu- 

 rity in less time than two years ! 



The live-stock of this interesting spot con- 

 sists of several high-bred pure-blooded cattle 

 of the favourite short-horn breed, of various 

 ages and of great beauty and value : a hand- 

 some mare, in foal by a favourite liorse, and an- 

 other for the chaise ; with pigs, old and young, 

 and poultry of various kinds, and a pair of 

 handsome setters, " for the use of the gun." 



And all this scene of plenty, peace and 

 comfort, is contained in the space of a very 

 few acres, and speaks most conclusively, the 

 non-necessity of large possessions to consti- 

 tute happiness ! And when my friend de- 

 scribed the way in which they ensconce them- 

 selves in the winter evenings, with arm-chairs 

 before a rousing fire, a large table in front, 

 covered with books and needle-work, with 

 the piano in the distance, and, what is better 

 than all, with daughters who are able to draw 

 from it " a concord of sweet sounds," I thought 

 a prince might envy him his lot in life ; and, 

 when I have again the pleasure of visiting 

 him, I mean to get him to sing to his daugl> 

 ters' instrument that fine old English song, 

 "The down-hill of Life," which is peculiarly 

 in keeping with all that relates to him, and 

 is, I think, deserving a place in the pages of 

 the Cabinet — will you permit me to hand it 

 to you for publication, and to subscribe my- 

 self your constant reader. B. G. 



In the down-hill of life when I find I'm declining, 



May my fate no less fortunate be, 

 Than a snug elbow-chair can afford for reclining, 



And a cot that o'erlooks the wide sea. 

 With an ambling pad pony to pace o'er the lawn, 



While I carol away idle sorrow, 

 And biythe as the lark that each day hails the dawn, 



Look forward with hope for the morrow. 



With a porch at my door, both for shelter and shade too. 



As the sunshine or rain may prevail. 

 With a small plot of ground, for the use of the spade too. 



And a barn, for the use of the flail. 

 A cow for my dairy, a dog for my gun, 



Jind a purse, when a friend wants to borrow — 

 I 'II envy no nabob his riches or fame, 



Nor what honours await him to-morrow. 



And, when I at last must throw off this frail covering, 



That I 'vo worn for threescore years and ten, 

 On the brink of the grave I'll not seek to keep hovering, 



Nor my thread wish to spin o'er again. 

 But my face in the glass I'll serenely survey. 



And with smiles count each wrinkle and furrow, 

 In hope that this stuff, which is thread-barn to-day, 



May become everlasting to-morrow ! 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Pruning Fiuit-Trees. 



Sir, — Much has been said and written on 

 the proper time for pruning fruit-trees ; it is 

 a subject that is less attended to than any 

 other of the labours of husbandry, and when 

 the wretched state of the trees in a great 

 many of the fine old orchards around us — 

 where the decayed branches are nearly equal 

 to those that are living — is taken into ac- 

 count, it is no longer surprising to hear their 

 possessors declare that " the orchards seem to 

 be going out all over the country." It should 

 be understood, that a single pruning can do 

 but little for the renovation of a tree that has 

 been so long neglected ; nay, it often happens 

 that considerable injury is sustained by severe 

 pruning after it has thus been delayed, for 

 persons are apt to carry it to excess, and cut 

 away injudiciously, when they see so much 

 requiring to be done. It is a work which 

 demands time and much attention, but which 

 will richly compensate for care and labour 

 bestowed. 



Even upon trees requiring the severest 

 pruning, it is not safe to do much the first 

 year, for the removal of a great number of 

 very large branches at once, has often been 

 found decidedly injurious to its future growth, 

 partly on account of exposing thereby a great 

 portion of the tree that has hitherto been 

 sheltered by them, to the effects of the severe 

 and cold cutting blasts of winter. The best 

 mode is, to prune regularly, but by no means 

 severely, the first season ; then much more 

 can be done the following year with impu- 

 nity ; and every year afterwards, if it be not 

 neglected, will add a dozen to the health and 

 vigour of the tree. 



It is astonishing to see, how generally it is 

 the practice to leave a newly-planted peach- 

 orchard without any attention the first year ; 

 many of the young trees exhausting them- 

 selves by throwing out large quantities of 

 useless wood, all along their stems, to the 

 ruin of the heads of the trees, and stout suck- 

 ers from the roots, when in half an hour, at 

 the proper season, just when these useless 

 buds and shoots appear, they could be re- 

 moved by a touch of the thumb; surely those 

 who grudge so small an amount of labour 

 ought never to enjoy the fruit, or the plea- 

 sant sight of a beautiful tree in full bearing. 



I have in my reading, met with some very 

 judicious remarks on this all important sub- 

 ject ; they are the experience of one of the 

 most intelligent men that any country can 

 boast of; and if, by introducing them to the 

 pages of the Cabinet, your readers are led to 

 practise what they cannot but approve, I shall 

 have been richly repaid for the trouble of 

 transcribing, from Bordley's notes and inti- 



