APPLE TREE. 201 



ply the lime in the fall. Take air-slacked lime, strew it 

 about an inch thick, to the extent of 2 or 3 feet from the 

 roots of the trees. The digging round the trees is high- 

 ly useful, while tarring is injurious. The expense is 

 not great; a man can dig round 50 large trees in a day. 

 The lime is a most salutary manure to the trees. After 

 the spot has been once opened and limed, the labor of 

 keeping it open will not be great. Three hogsheads of 

 air-slacked lime, or sweepings of a Ume store, will suf- 

 fice for 50 trees, and will cost f, 3. As it is done but 

 once a year, he thinks it cannot be half so expensive as 

 tarring. 



Caterpillars. The foregoing directions, for keeping 

 cankerworms from trees, are equally applicable to these 

 destructive insects. When a nest is formed early in the 

 spring, run a pole into it, twist it round till the nest and 

 its contents are wrapped round the pole, and bring the 

 whole down and kill the worms. Let this be done early 

 in the morning, when the dew is on, or in had weather. 

 If any escape this operation, repeat it when they have 

 rebuilt the nest. It is asserted that spirits of turpentine, 

 or common fish oil, applied to the nest with a mop of 

 rags, will penetrate through, and kill every caterpillar 

 within it ; and it is also said, that soap-suds will answer 

 the same purpose. This attention, continued for a short 

 time every spring, will destroy those in existence, and 

 will prevent their increase in future years — if left till 

 grown strong, they wander from their nests, and cannot 

 be eifectually overcome without great trouble and ex- 

 pense. 



Gathering, and Preserving Apples. The first requisite 

 is, to ascertain precisely when the fruit is fully ripe, as 

 it is said, that the longer winter apples are suifered to 

 remain on the trees, provided they are not overtaken 

 by frost, the longer they may be preserved. It maybe 

 considered a correct rule, that apples are ripe when 

 those that are sound and iair fall naturall}'^ from the trees, 

 or separate very readily on being lifted by the hand — 

 They should be gathered during a clear dry air, after 

 the dew has evaporated. In gathering apples and 

 pears, it is necessary carefully to avoid injuring the blos- 

 som buds, which are already formed for the next yearV 



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