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L.5 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



[From the Southern Agriculturist.] 

 On tlie diseases of Trees, and methods of Cure. 



When it is observed of a tree, that it does not 

 shoot forth, we are certain that it is either punc- 

 tured to the liber or white bark, or that it is defi- 

 cient in nourishment from the poverty of the earth, 

 in which it is planted, that will in time prove its 

 destruction. The remedy is to lay bare the roots 

 in the month of November, for three feet around 

 the tree, and put in three or four baskets of well 

 rotted cow manure ; throw upon this three or four 

 buckets of water to force the manure amongst the 

 roots, after which fill u|) the hole with the same 

 earth that was taken out of it ; the roots becoming 

 refreshed, throw out new fibres, and the year after 

 the tree will be seen shooting forth its green foli- 

 age again. If the summer is very dry you must 

 throw two buckets of water around it from time 

 to time. The winter following, in trimming the 

 trees jou must not leave as many branches as on 

 those that have always been in good health. — 

 Trees of every description are cured in this man- 

 ner. 



Bad soil. — Fruit trees accommodate themselves 

 more to warm light earth than to that which is 

 cold and wet. 



Diseased 7-oots. — Frequently a tree, all of a sud- 

 den, after having thriven many years, will become 

 weak and languid : this arises from the roots be- 

 coming rotten from having been planted too deep, 

 from the tnany fibres, from humidity or otherwise. 

 This is easily remedied by laying bare the roots 

 in autumn, and cutting off such as are decayed, 

 up to the sound wood. 



Exhausted earth. — If the tree languishes in its 

 sound roots, the malady arises from the earth be- 

 ing too much exhausted. To reanimate it, remove 

 the exhausted earth and replace it with new ; af- 

 terwards throw around the foot of the tree two 

 good baskets of cow manure, if the earth is warm, 

 or that of the horse if it is cold, and when the 

 time arrives to trim it, cut out the old wood. If 

 it does not shoot forth well the succeeding year, 

 it ought then to be dug up and thrown away. 

 ' To regenerate old trees. — When you have in 

 your garden a very old tree, whose branches on 

 the right and left indicate dying, you may calcu- 

 late the cause to be in the roots : it wants nour- 

 ishment, and the earth about its feet is too old, 

 exhausted and dry. To give it again health and 

 vigor, lay bare the roots in the month of Novem- 

 ber, for four feet square all around them so as not 

 to injure them ; afterwards throw five or six bas- 

 kets of well rotted cow manure above the roots, 

 the fall and winter rains will decompose it ; if the 

 winter is dry, you must water it, in order that the 

 liquor of the mamwe may become a kind of pus to 

 nourish the roots ; the .sap will begin to flow, and 



the earth and tree revive. In the month of Feb- 

 ruary, cut the old branches to the body of the tree, | 

 covering the wound so as to prevent either rain 

 or the sun from doing any injury. After the first 

 year, the branches will be three feet ; and, if it is 

 a tree which ought to be trimmed, the winter after 

 trim the branches a foot long. This manner of 

 resuscitating all kinds of trees is excellent. 



Trees diseased on one side only. — If a tree is dis- 

 eased on one side and vigorous on the other, lay 

 the roots entirely bare, remove the diseased ] art, 

 and cut the larger roots in order to make the tree 

 equal, and the circulation of the sap more general ; 

 ])Ut new earth above the roots, even if they should 

 not be unhealthy, and two or three baskets of 

 manure as above. 



When you trim this tree, leave the vigorous 

 side long, and you must leave all the fruit branches, 

 even the weakest, so as to draw t!ie sap : trim very 

 close the diseased side ; cut ofrall\iseless branches, 

 and leave a few fruit branches. 



Yellow leaves. — This disease arises often from 

 the same cause as that of the disease last spoken i 

 of, that is to say, exhausted earth. In such case* 

 administer new earth mixed with manure reducedB 

 nearly to that of common earth ; or, without en- 

 tirely uncovering the roots, with ashes and soot, 

 these materials are very good for light earths. 

 When the ground is cold, pigeon dung is very B 

 good, particularly where it has been in a heap for 

 two years, to ameliorate its strong heat ; spread it 

 an inch dee[) about the foot of the tree, and in the 

 month of March following bury it. For the want 

 of this dung, you must take away the old earth 

 from around the tree and replace it with new, 

 mixed with fine well rotted horse manure. If the 

 yellowness arises from the earth being damp, take 

 horse-dung mixed with water, so as to form a kind 

 of ]iaj), make a trench around the loot of the tree, 

 pour in the mixture, cover it, and let it thus re- 

 main : it will reanimate it. Jf the yellow leaves 

 arise from a contrary cause, that is, from the soil 

 being too light and dry, you uutst as soon as the 

 month of November arrives uncover the roots, and 

 j)ut above them the scrapings or settlings of a 

 pool, well-drained, worn out, and exhausted street 

 mud ; hog-dung or other similar manure : these 

 simple and easy means will resuscitate them. 



A tree often becomes yellow from having given 

 too much fruit, and exhausting its substance. In 

 this case you must pull off a jiart of the fruit, and 

 apply fresh nourishment to the roots. 



When a tree appears to languish, make a circle 

 around the foot of it, in which you must put any 

 convenient manure ; in trimming it, cut off all 

 superfluous wood, and after having filled up the 

 hole in which you have put the manure, leave na- 

 ture to act, and she will resuscitate it soon. In 

 digging around the tree, keep off at from two to 



