43 



of good' pears sold in our markets are brougfht from othet 

 counties. 



Our decaying Fruit Trkes demand immediate attention, for 

 they may yet be saved. Forsyth, the distinguished manager of 

 the Kensington gardens, in England, for whose improvements in 

 the art of managing fruit trees the British Government paid him 

 four thousand pounds sterling, was so successful in restoring de- 

 cayed trees, that he computed " an old tree, cut down and pro- 

 perly medicated, would yield as much fruit the sixth year after 

 that operation, as a young tree planted on the same soil would 

 produce in the twentieth year from the time it was planted. 

 He thought no tree lost beyond the power of recovery whose 

 roots were sound, were it ever so much decayed above ground ; 

 provided there was one inch of sound bark upon it, he did not 

 despair of recovering it. He frequently exchanged with those 

 who were desirous of turning out old trees. If they would give 

 him the old tree, he would take it up, and put in its place any 

 young tree they might choose from his nursery : for he had 

 found that, even after being transplanted, such old trees came 

 into bearing much sooner than any young ones that he could 

 procure. By the same rule, this experienced gardener, when 

 he was obliged to go to a nursery, always chose the oldest plants 

 he could find there, were they ever so stubbed or ill looking."" 

 By what mighty magic were such wonderful things accomplish- 

 ed ? By the application of scientific principles to the improve- 

 ment of his art. Following the advice of the vine dreseer in 

 scripture, it was his practice to dig round them, nnd dung them, 

 and at the season when trees are growing, he cut away all the 

 dead wood, and covered the wounds with a composition that 

 prevented the exudation of sap, and defended them from the 

 air, sun and raino.* 



* Forsyth's composition for healing wounds in frees is made as follows : 

 Take lime that has been long slaked, or chalk, half a bushel; wood 

 ashes, half a bushel ; sand, two quarts ; pulveri/e and sift them ; add fresh 

 cow-dung, one bushel ; and work the whole to a fine mortar ; dilute it 

 vrith urine or soap-suds to the consistence of a paint, and apply it with a 

 painter's brush ; sprinkle over it a powder, composed of wood ashes, fivfi 

 parts, and ashes of burnt bones, one part, and press it gently with the hand. 

 Tar and ochre, or pulverized brick, will answer the samo purpose. 



