OBJECTIONS ANSWEKED. 99 



creation will surrender the management of their 

 Orchard-houses to the more enterprising manage- 

 ment, certainly to the more patient investigation 

 of causes and results of their help-mates. They 

 at least have generally taken on trust what they 

 did not immediately apprehend; and at the end 

 of the season been able to rejoice in their de- 

 cision. 



But in the case immediately referred to all ex- 

 perience, as yet, proves that no exhaustion of the 

 trees, nor shortening of their lives, takes place. 

 And if it did, the remedy is so obvious and so 

 cheap as to make this objection futile ; for as 

 long as half-a-dozen trees in pots can supply a 

 reserve, nothing further need in reality be urged. 

 Still it must be added, that if excessive pro- 

 duction be the cause of the destruction of the 

 trees after a certain number of years, then this 

 is by no means an unpleasant occurrence, for the 

 fact is that they at present bear very little in 

 proportion to the time and labour devoted to them. 

 But how long it will take to exhaust the trees is 

 not confidently stated by any one ; and for this 

 excellent reason, that no trees have as yet been 

 exhausted after fifteen years' trial, nor are any 

 cases likely to occur for a longer time. 



When we consider the " fast habits" of the 

 present day, it would seem strange if trees did not 

 partake of the general rapidity of circulation ; 

 and no doubt a " fast nectarine" has good cause 



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