78 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



Winds sweep the surface and bear away the mois- 

 ture of the soil at the same time that they come 

 in contact with the trees and bushes themselves, 

 and take away their moisture. The chief effect of 

 the forest is to check the force of winds in pre- 

 scribed areas. It has a local influence. Aside from 

 all this, if forests were retained about the sources 

 of creeks and upon springy hillsides, a more con- 

 tinuous supply of water might be obtained for irri- 

 gation, stock, spraying and domestic uses. It is 

 worth saying, too, that a country which is dotted 

 here and there with forest areas is a much more 

 attractive one, to every person who loves variety of 

 landscape and nature, than one which has been re- 

 duced to a dead sameness by the removal of all 

 timber. 



Whilst there are thus many advantages to fruit- 

 growing of small forest preserves, there are also 

 disadvantages. In certain cases they may become 

 the harbors and rallying places of serious insect or 

 fungous invasions. This difficulty may be largely 

 avoided by cutting out those trees and bushes which 

 breed the fruit-grower's enemies. The wild cherries 

 are much loved of the tent caterpillars, the elm of 

 the canker-worm, and wild roses and their kin of 

 the rose-chafer. The cedar- apple fungus thrives 

 upon the red cedar, and is thence transported to 

 the quince or apple orchard, and a form of it 

 affects the wild thorn trees. The red -rust flour- 

 ishes upon the wild blackberries, dewberries and 

 black raspberries, and the strawberry diseases breed 



