600 [Assembly 



differs only in one proportional part in form of sugar. Alcohol is 

 the same thing, only the proportional parts are different. In vegeta- 

 bles the lignine, cellular structure, &c., only serve to divide the starch 

 or saccharine in the vegetable into minute portions. This natural 

 division is necessary for us who live on them — for otherwise they 

 would be too much concentrated — we might eat without mastication, 

 but our teeth would drop out from mere inactivity. Nor could we 

 exist in good health without the lignine, &c. Barley is made to 

 start its growth, (by distillers,) and as soon as it has developed in a 

 light degree its growth, it is sugared, the growth is then stopped by 

 drying it. Afterwards in using it, the sugar is dissolved' — and after 

 this, and then distillation, the swill will not feed a pig ! Starch ex- 

 ists in globules, and when moistened, swells and becomes sugar. 

 And this saccharine process is going on in the processes of vegeta- 

 tion. 



Pruning. 



Dr. Underbill — The pruning of fruit trees has been wonderfully 

 neglected in our country. I hardly ever take a ride but I see whole 

 orchards in which the branches grow like a forest, one limb riding 

 another, chafing in every storm, and so thick a growth as to exJude 

 the light; limbs covered with moss, a very delightful resort for worms 

 and insects, which can abide most comfortably there until the 

 ensuing year! and then invade the leaf, the fruit and the tree! Moss 

 roses are beautiful, but moss on the fruit trees a great injury. 



Fruit trees, if old, still must be pruned; but the young onc^ ought 

 to be, or the fruit will be poor, knotty and of little value. 



The best time for pruning is the spring, when the leaves are out, 

 and even the blossoms; but this doctrine is against almost universal 

 practice. I have pruned in winter, because I had then spare time. 

 Cover the cut limb with some composition to exclude wet, &,c. Tar 

 mixed with French w^hiting and a little common sublimate, makes a 

 good compost for the purpose. The sublimate prevents the insects 

 from meddling with it; the tar, however, will keep them off without 

 the sublimate. Grafting wax, made of rosin, bee's wax and a little 

 tallow, is good, but is more costly. This care prevents the tree from 

 becoming hollow, causes the trunk to heal and grow over well. 

 When you would prune off a limb of three, four, or five inches di- 

 ameter, observe the bulge next the body of the tree; cut off the limb 

 just outside of that bulge. Cut off the lower' limbs so they may not 

 interfere with the horns of cattle passing through the orchard, wheii 



