SOIL AND ASPECT. 31 



■work -ander the snow, never in open daylight. Coarse paper may 

 be tied aromid the tree, and smeared with coal tar ; and some use 

 strips of roofing-felt festened around the tree ; others, old stove 

 pipe — ^in short, anything that wiU. keep the mice from gna'wing 

 the bark. 



A WASH FOR THE TRUNKS AND BEANOHBS is made by dissolving 

 one pound of potash in two gallons of water. If this be applied 

 with a brush or swab to the bark of the trunk and larger branches 

 before the buds burst in spring, it wiU make it smooth and glossy, 

 and is sure death to the bark-louse and all insects and their eggs 

 which harbor in the crevices and under the scales of the bark. 

 It is also a great preservative from the attacks of iaseets, and 

 seems to promote the health of the tree, giving a fcesh and lively 

 appearance to the bark. Soft soap — ^that which is ropy is 

 preferable to that which is Uke jelly — ^is also an excellent preserva- 

 tive from insects, and may be applied by rubbing it on with a 

 coarse cloth. K the bark of the tree has become very rough, it 

 is necessary to scrape off the loose pieces before applying the 

 wash. This can be readily done by cutting a piece, in shape like 

 a new moon, out of the edge of an old hoe, which will shape the 

 edge of the hoe so as to fit very nearly to the trunk of the tree. 

 The soft soap is preferable to the potash wash for old trees with 

 such thick and rough bark. 



SOIL A2SD ASPECT. 



It is essentially necessary to the health and longevity of fruit 

 trees, and the perfect development of the fruit, that the soil in 

 which they are planted should be perfectly drained; and .by this 

 should be understood not only the entire removal of all stagnant 

 surface water, but of aU stagnant water in the soU. If such a 

 condition does not naturally exist, it should be secured by 

 artificial means. To plant fruit trees where the roots must be 

 soaked with excess of water during any long-coBJiaued period, 

 can only be productive of disappointment and loss. This having 



