368 Notes and Gleanings. 



keep the top soil loose, that any application of manures may easily percolate to 

 thousands of little mouths that lie just below the surface. Let all fertilizing ap- 

 plications be made to the top of the soil, and your fork used to gently mix it 

 with the earth. You must not forget that the most intimate relation exists be- 

 tween the head and the roots : mutilate either, and you will injure the other. 

 PMant shallow ; for the roots require heat and the influence of the light, yet not 

 directly in contact. Annually dress with well-rotted stable-manure, leached 

 ashes, salt, lime, and plaster, or ground bones. The same practice will apply to 

 the apple or pear tree. The best time for these applications is the fall : this is 

 patent from the fact that the feeders take nothing but what is in a state of solu- 

 tion ; and so, by the arrival of spring, chemical decomposition has performed 

 much of the work of solution ready for the first hungry mouth set in motion by 

 the genial warmth of spring. So much for cultivation. And now about the fruit- 

 curculio and black knot. Your reward for faithful stewardship is near at hand. 

 Longitudinal cuts in June, with a sharp knife, along the main limbs and trunk, 

 just through the outer bark, and no deeper, will secure protection from the 

 black knot, which is nothing but a fungoid growth produced by weakened 

 tissues, brought about too often by injury to the roots. Still, with all our care, it 

 may in some rare cases exhibit itself Take advantage of its early formation by 

 removing it with a sharp knife, and thus destroy its germs and further spread. 

 When the tree arrives at bearing maturity, watch for the first indication of cres- 

 cent marks upon your tender fruits. Rise at early dawn, spread sheets beneath 

 your tree, and by a sudden jar dislodge his " Turkship." You will find him 

 resembling a dead bud. Remove him to some brimstone-pit or similar place of 

 perdition. 'Tis your tault if he escapes. Thus continue until your plums are 

 nearly full size. A small mallet with a thick rubber head, and a square of gutta 

 percha laid upon the limb to strike upon, are all you require. At no time allow 

 any fallen injured plums to lie upon the ground: gather them twice a day, and 

 put in boiling water, and thus prevent a future crop of curculio ; for the worm is 

 matured in the fruit, falls to the ground, burrows, and again renews the existence 

 of the curculio. All other remedies are species of quackery. Should your trees 

 be overloaded with fruit as mine have been, do not neglect to remove, without 

 injury to the spur, at least half of the crop. Now, I am aware that all this looks 

 like considerable labor; but allow. me to assure you from actual experience, 

 that an hour's daily labor in the early morning, wiien the curculio is in a par- 

 tially torpid state, during the growing season of the plum, will secure from its 

 depredations a very great number of trees, and your reward will be great. One 

 Columbia tree gave me three bushels of superb plums last season, a portion of 

 which I could spare, and sold them at five dollars per bushel : therefore the 

 profits of this single tree were fifteen dollars (Canada currency), the half of which 

 alone paid all the expense of labor in taking care of a dozen trees. The labor 

 was scarcely perceptible ; and I must say that I was well repaid for my labor by 

 the beautiful sight of loaded Columbias, Washingtons, Bradshaws, Duane's 

 Purples, Jeffersons, Lawrence's Favorites, and Gages. It would require a strong 

 temptation to draw me away from the delicious aroma of these golden, green, and 



