AND ITS DISEASE. 59 



"caustic or quick lime is now for the first time pub- 

 licly announced as an indispensable specific, remedied 

 agent, with the other alkalies named, against the yel- 

 lows in the peach tree." 



In seasons of overbearing the orchard should be 

 cultivated up to about the middle of July with the 

 plow or cultivator and harrow, the same as with 

 the young trees before their bearing and while cul- 

 tivated in corn ; and if apparently needing manure 

 a light shovelful of wood ashes applied to the tree 

 at its base first removing the earth from around 

 it with a heavy hoe and this course of treatment 

 will keep the trees in a thrifty, growing condition, 

 forming wood for the next year's crop, and sustain- 

 ing them through their exhaustive efforts under an 

 over cropping. But this unnatural draft upon the 

 strength of the tree may be avoided, under a judi- 

 cious thinning out of the young fruit to a moderate 

 crop. This is done to a limited extent occasionally, 

 but I have never yet known it to be extended to 

 large orchards. There can be no doubt of the ad- 

 vantage and profit of such a practice, as a case in 

 point from a successful gardener shows : " My ten 

 fruit trees were loaded with fruit. When as large 

 as hickory nuts, I began the operation of remov- 

 ing all the smallest, and of thinning out unsparing- 

 ly wherever they were crowded. After going over 

 five trees in this way, in deference to gentle remon- 

 strances from his l better half,' he suspended his 

 1 ravages,' leaving five untouched. 



