ORCHARDS. 483 



which prevent the insects from crawling up the one while they 

 are uninterrupted from climbing up the other. 



Among the proffered remedies is that of suspending tarred 

 shingles in various parts of the tree, the odour of which is sup- 

 posed to be repugnant to them. Digging round the trees, in 

 the manner before mentioned, has also been advised. It has, 

 however, been observed, that those orchards are most free from 

 their depredations to which the domestic animals have free 

 access. Hogs, by devouring the fruit that falls, before the in- 

 sects have time to escape; and poultry, who are great devourers 

 of all sorts of insects, will contribute greatly to this end. 

 Therefore it is, that smooth stoned fruits in particular, succeed 

 much better in lanes and yards, where the poultry run without 

 restraint, than in gardens and other inclosures from which they 

 are excluded. Horned cattle also, by trampling and harden- 

 ing the ground, may be of service to the preservation of fruit. 

 Paving the ground is said to be a very effectual mode of pre- 

 serving fruit from the attack of the curculio, by preventing its 

 descent into the earth, in which case it finds no winter habita- 

 tion. But as this could not be done on a very extensive scale, 

 some flat stones laid around the trees and cemented with lime, 

 might be substituted. 



In Kenrick's new and valuable American Orchardist, we find 

 the following excellent remarks on 



Gathering and preserving fruit. "Various theories have been offered for 

 preserving apples in a sound state for winter use, or for distant voyages. Some 

 nave proposed gathering the fruit before it is ripe, and drying it on floors be- 

 fore it is put up: this has been tried; apples lose their sprightly flavour, and 

 keep no better than by some less troublesome modes. Dr. NOAH WKBSTKR has 

 recommended that they should be put down between layers of sand that has 

 been dried by the heat of the summer. This is, without doubt, an excellent 

 mode, as it excludes, the air, and absorbs the moisture, and must be useful 

 when apples are shipped to a warm climate. But apples thus preserved are 

 liable to imbibe an earthy taste. 



"Chopped straw has also been highly recommended to be placed between 

 layers of fruit; but I have noticed that the straw, from the perspiration it im- 

 bibes, becomes musty, and may do more hurt than good. When apples are to 

 be exported, it has been recommended that each be separately wrapped in 

 coarse paper, in the manner oranges and lemons are put up. This is, without 

 doubt, an excellent mode. And Mr. LOUDON has recommended that apples 

 destined for Europe should be packed between layers of grain. 



"Great quantities of winter fruit are raised in the vicinity of Boston, and 

 put up for the winter use, for the market and for exportation. The following 

 is the mode almost universally adopted by the most experienced. And by this 

 mode the apples, under very favourable circumstances, are frequently preserv- 

 ed in a sound state, or not one in fifty defective, for a period of seven or eight 

 months. The fruit is suffered to hang on the tree to as late a period as possi- 

 ble in October, or till hard frosts have loosened the stalk, and they are in dan- 

 ger of being blown down by high winds; such as have already fallen are care- 

 fully gathered and inspected, and the best are put up for early winter use. 

 They are carefully gathered from the tree by hand, and as carefully laid in. 

 baskets. New, tight, well seasoned flour barrels from the baker's, are usually 

 preferred; the barrels being quite filled are gently shaken, and the head is 



