276 On Peach Trees. 



care being taken not to wound the shoot nor tear the 

 bark of the stock. When the heavy rains of the spring 

 had closed the surface of the ground, it was loosened 

 with a dung fork (made strong for the purpose and 

 having the lines square) so as to let in the air without 

 disturbing the roots, and this process was repeated 

 about the middle or last of August, after the first fall 

 rains. The spring following the sand in the cylinder 

 was loosened Avith the point of a trowel, to keep it 

 from binding too hard upon the tree; to do which 

 with much nicety required a full half minute. From 

 this time forward, until the tree grew too large for the 

 cylinder, no other cai^e was required than the usual 

 trimming, and the breaking of the ground as above 

 mentioned; except that the body of the tree was wash- 

 ed quite clean ever}^ March; sometimes with simple 

 water, and at other times with soap suds, urine &c. as 

 they occasionally were conveniently had ; but the differ- 

 ence in the effect of these is not easily seen, otherwise 

 than that the soap suds cleans the tree with the least la- 

 bour ; and of the importance of this difference you may 

 judge when I tell you, that with water only a woman of 

 more than fifty years of age washed for me, last spring, 

 upwards of sixty trees in one day. When the air was 

 damp, and consequently, the dirt on the trees was moist, 

 a coarse cloth dipped in the water was put half round 

 the tree and drawn back\vard and forward a few times, 

 and continued upwards as high as she could reach. 

 This washing has been continued at least once a year 

 to this time, and the consequence is that the bark of the 

 tree continues smooth as that of a young chtrrj tree ; 

 and the effect is the same in all the peach trees in 



