82 On Fruit and Fruit Trees. 



ter, many years ago by the learned and ingenious Chan- 

 cellor Livingston. 



The greatest enemy to fruit trees in this part of the 

 country, is the catter pillar. My mode of destroying them 

 is to go early in the morning, and twist their nests out 

 of the trees with a stick or pole, which I find is readily 

 done ; and that it is negligence or rather laziness in a 

 farmer, to suffer his orchard to be much hurt by catter- 

 pillars. 



The loose gravelly soil^ I consider from all my observa- 

 tions, best suited for an apple orchard ; and that a high 

 ■dnd air 1/ situation produces the largest fairest fruit. — A 

 north aspect is most secure from the late frosts in the 

 spring, as the trees do not come forward so early. 



The best manure that I have experienced for the ap- 

 ple tree, is horse du7ig and litter, to keep the ground 

 round the tree loose, and free from sod. 



I generally prune all my kinds of fruit trees: whether 

 any kinds answer better without, I have not experienced. 



I have been acquainted with the bitter-rot in Fande- 

 vers, and some other apples for at least 40 years, and 

 have endeavoured to discover the cause and prevention^ 

 which I considered that I had done, as follows. 



I had observed that rot to prevail most in wet damp 

 seasons, and on trees with the thickest closest tops and 

 least exposed to a free air. 



I considered it a kind of mildew or mould, that pene- 

 trated the skin of some kinds of apples more than 

 others ; as I have discovered on the skin of other kinds 

 of apples (when that rot prevailed) large black spots. 



