142 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



have a clean bole without branches, but are not suited for 

 those which are made to branch at or near the ground. 

 Besides, in countries where snow abounds, these little ma- 

 rauders are elevated above the wrappings, and have fair 

 play at the unprotected parts of the tree on this account 

 another class of preventives has been adopted. 



These consist in applications that are obnoxious to 

 rabbits, which, being nice feeders, are easily disgusted. 

 White-wash, and white- wash made with tobacco water, 

 soap, whale-oil soap, grease, blood, and especially the dead 

 rabbit itself, freshly killed, have all been used with happy 

 results, in that they have driven these animals to seek 

 their food elsewhere. A very good application, and one 

 that may be used upon a low-branched tree as well as to 

 the smooth clear stem of one that is higher, is blood. This 

 is put on with a swab ; a few corn husks tied to a stick, 

 answers very well. Dipping this into the vessel of blood, 

 the swab is struck gently against the stem or the branch- 

 es, as the case may be, and the fluid is spattered over it. 

 A very little will answer to keep the rabbits away, and 

 the effect will continue all winter, notwithstanding the 

 rains. 



Certain insects also prove injurious in the nursery, 

 among these the most numerous are the aphides^ which are 

 found upon the roots of some fruit trees, especially the 

 apple. Others of this disagreeable insect appear upon the 

 foliage, among these one of the most disgusting is the 

 one which causes the black curl, on young cherry trees. 

 The pear tree slug, (Selandria cerasi), destroys the foli- 

 age of many young trees in the nursery ; caterpillars also 

 do their share of mischief. A serious trouble in old nur- 



