ORCHARD AND VIXEYARD. 115 



growth and good yield. The scrapings of the wood pile mixed with ashes, 

 decayed leaves, and road washings, are all of value as manures. Salt 

 sprinkled around the trees, or apphed in the form of brine, is frequently 

 beneficial, especially where the fruit falls before ripening. 



Slaxims for Fi-ult Groovers. — All fruit trees like a rather dry, rich soil. 

 On a cold clayey bottom diseases are usually frequent. Do not plant deep; 

 cut off tap roots, and encourage surface fibres. Surface manuring is the 

 best mode of doing this after the tree is planted. Do not allow anything to 

 grow vigorously around your trees the first year of planting, nor allow the 

 sou to become hard or dry. 



Instect.s Injnrioiiiii to Fruit Trees. — To keep the insects from tho trees 

 requires the closest observance, and, soon as found, destruction must com- 

 mence. Their habits should be learned as much as possible. When the in- 

 sects are in the winged state is the time they lay their eggs. They multiply 

 with astonishing rapidity, one insect often hatching thousands in a single 

 season. June is the time most of the insects lay their eggs, and at that time 

 bonfires should be built at night, when the insects will fly into them and be 

 destroyed; or, if you have only a few trees in the garden, get some bottles 

 with wide mouths, and fill half full with a mixture of water, molasses, and 

 vinegar, and tie up in the trees; empty in a week, and fill again. And at 

 that time (June) the bark should be washed with soft soap, the trunk and 

 the limbs as far as can be reached; also sprinkle a handful of coarse salt 

 around the roots of the tree — we have found it valuable. Put coal ashes, 

 about a peck, around the base of each tree, as it not only drives away the 

 grubs, but acts as a fertilizer. The best way to kill insects on the tree is to 

 dust air-slaked lime over it when the dew is on the tree; or, steep tobacco 

 stems in boiling water, and, when cool, syringe the tree. 



Birds are of great value in destroj-ing insects, and they should have the 

 best of care given them, to encourage their building and hving on the place, 

 especially our common sparrow (not the English sparrow), wrens, bluebirds, 

 robins, quails, etc. Don't allow them to be frightened or shot at, and they 

 will pay well. 



Toads and bats destroy a great many insects in the spring. As the green 

 finiit drops it should be gathered up and fed to the hogs, for it contains a 

 worm which burrows in the ground. Where small quantities of trees are 

 grown, as in the garden, it is a good plan to fence in the trees, and let the 

 hogs or chickens eat the green, wormy fruit as it falls ; we have known pluia 

 trees to bear enormous and paj-ing crops when treated in this way. 



Pear BligUt and Peach YeUows. — Pear blight and peach yeUows are 

 subjects of prolific and dissenting discussion at everj' horticultural meeting. 

 Mr. Satterthwait, in a report on the diseases of fruit trees to the Pennsyl- 

 vania State Horticultural Society, points out the great difference between the 

 two diseases; namely, that while the yellows is extremely contagious, no one 

 need fear to plant a pear tree where a bUghted one has been removed. He 

 stated that he had thousands of trees, vigorous and entirely healthy, that 

 were planted beside the stumps of trees killed by the -pe&r bhght, and not 

 one was ever affected. He regards it as proved to a certainty that pear 

 blight is an entirely different disease in its nature from the peach yeUows, 

 and he mentioned, as additional proof, that it is a usual occurrence for pear 

 trees to be locally affected, or iu a single branch, without the disease spread- 

 ing, and the tree entirely recovering its health and vigor. 



