No. 129.] 561 



sire to grasp after more than nature, wben left to lier due course, 

 would have yielded. 



It is thought by some of the best pomalogists of Europe, that 

 in the south of France and Italy, it is best to prune trees sparing- 

 ly of all kinds, or the fruit, and even tree, will suffer more or 

 less from the sun ; these require some shade in such climates to 

 prosper and do well. Professor Johnston intimates the same 

 thing in regard to America. He thinks we cut and prune our 

 orchards too much for our climate. They will not bear as much 

 of this as Great Britain, and he thinks our orchards have suffered 

 by it, and will suffer more if continued. I was told by a practi- 

 cal farmer, at one of our late clubs, highly respectable and intel- 

 ligent, that he lost, not long since, the greater part of an apple 

 orchard, and some of his neighbors and friends lost theirs in the 

 same way, by pruning them too much, and when too old. Rub- 

 bing off the rough bark of apple and pear trees is very proper, so 

 as to give the trunks a smooth leathery surface, it keeps insects 

 from harboring and breeding under the bark ; the tree also re- 

 ceives more benefit from the air and moisture without and the 

 sap within, the healthfulness of the bark, being near the earth, 

 and the foundation of all, influences more or less the health of 

 the whole plant. Decortication, or pefeling the bark off" to the 

 inner wood, to make the tree produce larger and earlier fruit, 

 the late Mr. Knight thought a hazardous experiment, if not done 

 at the proper time and well done, he says a morbid state of 

 early maturity is induced, and the fruit becomes worthless. 

 Girdling and ringing he is not friendly to, " except only in those 

 few cases where blossoms cannot otherwise be obtained, or where 

 a single crop of very early fruit exceeds the value of the tree.'- 

 Hence, it would seem Mr. Knight is unfriendly to too much doc- 

 toring of even the apple and pear tree, which will perhaps take 

 more nostrums without much harm, than some others. He 

 thought so, especially if the supposed disease required the appli- 

 cation of the knife ; and no more experienced or skilful surgeon, 

 in handling this, when applied to fruit trees, probably ever 

 lived. The pear will flom-ish everywhere it i5 said, where the 

 apple will, from 38 south to 50 north, and probably better between 

 40 and 47 north, than north or south of these last points. It 



j Assembly, No. 129.] 36 



