60 



been communicated to other trees, or even been recognised 

 by English or French horticulturists." 



It is scarcely possible to read this opinion of the veteran 

 pomologist of America without recognizing that similar 

 conditions have existed here in the Colony. Not one in a 

 hundred has for himself made the observation that the 

 peach is apt to ruin itself with overbearing, and has there- 

 fore carried out a vigorous system of pruning back in 

 winter and shortening in summer, to keep the output with- 

 in the limits of the trees' powers. Not one in a hundred 

 has trenched up the whole strip of land on which the trees 

 stand and secured to them a free rapid drainage. Is it then 

 wonderful that, encouraged to bear to excess, with roots 

 weakened for want of free aeration and perpetually water- 

 logged once or more a week, the peach tree succumbs at 

 last, and dies slowly of what we have called yellows, but 

 which is really exhaustion above ground and root-asphyxia 

 below ? 



If it be asked, what remedy is to be had for what has 

 been taken at the Cape for yellows, the reply must be 

 founded upon this view of its cause. The system or no- 

 system of culture must be altered. If planted in the old 

 way in holes, a French drain must be taken out along each 

 row a little lower than the original bottom of the holes, 

 connecting each, and having a good outfall. This prevents 

 the mischief of waterlogging. The whole area of the trees 

 must be dug with the digging fork not with the spade 

 as deep as possible without getting seriously among the 

 roots. A top-dressing of lime should be turned in at the 

 same time, not so much for the purpose of adding to the 

 food-constituents of the soil as to aid in making available 

 the humus elements present, setting free potash, and, if the 

 soil be clayey, flocculating its texture to admit air. The 

 unhealthy parts of the tree should be cut away, and the 

 whole gone over discreetly with the pruning knife to reduce 

 the demands made upon the weakened root-system. Work 

 of this sort is as interesting to the skilled gardener and the 

 observant amateur, as the conduct of a difficult case is to a 

 physician. But people who do not care much for their 

 garden, and look on their trees merely as machines for 

 saving market cost of purchased fruit, had better not try 

 to bring them round. It would be far less trouble to stub 



