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ralists, as well as many of our eminent 

 practical gardeners. Animals of different 

 species are found to engender a variety of 

 kinds of animalculae, particularly where clean- 

 liness is not attended to. Trees, according 

 to their kinds, attract different blights : our 

 endeavours, therefore, would be in vain to 

 avoid the blight affecting the leaves and 

 blossoms of large trees; but as the trunk 

 and branches of the apple-tree are often in- 

 jured, and sometimes destroyed, by animal- 

 culae, an attention to the cleanliness of these 

 trees cannot fail of being beneficial to their 

 growth. It has therefore occurred to me, 

 from observations and experiments I have 

 made since compiling this work, that if the 

 trunks of the apple-trees were rubbed with 

 the leaves and young shoots of the elder, to 

 which all kind of blight hath an antipathy, 

 that those injurious although minute insects 

 would not only be destroyed, but that it 

 would prevent their fking themselves on 

 these trees. As this is a matter of import- 

 ance to the public, I shall feel obliged by 

 the remarks of any gentlemen who may be 

 disposed to try the experiment. The canker 

 of apple-trees, I apprehend, is principally 

 occasioned by the uncongenial quality of the 

 soil. I lately travelled with a gentleman, who 



