Hints on Summer Management of Fruit Trees. 487 



Art. III. Hints respecting the Summer Treatment of Fruit 

 Trees. By an Old Fruit Cultivator. 



Dear Sir, — Notwithstanding the numerous articles that 

 have been written monthly, by yourself and your numerous 

 contributors, on the cultivation and management of fruit 

 trees, yet, on looking around me, I cannot help remarking 

 the great discrepancy in point of summer management on 

 the part of many practical fruit growers, throughout the 

 country, and that too by many who, one would think, are 

 fully acquainted with anything which I can say on the sub- 

 ject. Nevertheless, if you can spare me room in your valu- 

 able columns for a few remarks. I will, as briefly as possible, 

 point out what I mean. 



It is, I believe, generally admitted by all experienced cul- 

 tivators, and more especially practical gardeners, (a class who 

 are somewhat slow to admit anything that retaliates upon 

 themselves,) that there is still something required ii^ the 

 shape of knowledge, before we can be fully master of a fruit 

 tree. It gets barren or blighted, — it cracks its fruit, — it grows 

 sickly, — becomes wretched to look at, and latterly dies ; yet 

 there is no remedy at hand, no specific antidote to any or all 

 of these evils ; Ave may doctor the tree ^vith ashes, iron 

 filings, and highly concentrated special manures, but all 

 these have oftener failed than been effectual. Why cannot 

 we get at the disease and the remedy, as a physician gets at 

 his patient's illness, and with the same degree of hope ? 

 Why cannot some of your scientific and physiological cor- 

 respondents take hold of this subject in a thoroughly prac- 

 tical manner, that we may not go plodding on continually 

 on mere chance, throAving aAvay our money on horticultural 

 drugs, and killing our trees into the bargain. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I Avould like, if you or some of your 

 clever correspondents Avould tell me, to knoAv Avhether the 

 ill-success Avhich attends our eflbrts to produce permanency 

 and productiveness in fruit trees, arises from the mismanage- 

 ment of the root or the top ? I have my own opinion on 



