242 THE RENOVATION OF OLD PLACES. 



France for them ; for which purpose application should of course 

 be made as early as mid-winter. These suggestions about using 

 trees to graft upon, apply only to young trees. Large ones should 

 not have their nobler proportions marred by such work. 



Old apple-trees are not appreciated as they should be. No 

 tree of its size has a grander spread. Their horizontal branches 

 often have the majesty of small park-oaks. This look of low 

 breadth and strength is expressive of its domestic character, and 

 makes it peculiarly appropriate in proximity to residences of mod- 

 erate size and cottage character. Few trees are in leaf earlier ; 

 none are more fragrant or beautiful in bloom ; none bend with such 

 a ruddy glow of useful fruit. The fall of immature fruit is an objec- 

 tion to all fruit trees on lawns. If the proprietor is not tidy enough 

 to have his lawn always close mowed under them, and all insect- 

 bitten fruit and windfalls picked or raked up as soon as they drop, 

 then he does not deserve to have trees that are at the same time 

 beautiful and useful.* These remarks apply especially to full- 

 grown trees. It is only after the apple-tree is from thirty to forty 

 years old that it attains a noble expression, and its best character- 

 istics, like those of the oak and chestnut, are developed in its 

 old age. 



Apple or other low branching trees that have become decrepit 

 from age or insects, can be turned to pleasing use by cutting off 

 their branches several feet from the main trunks and training vines 

 over them. The pipe-vine or birthwort {Aristolochia sipho), with 

 its luxuriant mass of large heart-shape leaves, makes a superb show 

 on supports of this kind. Almost any of our twining or creeping 

 vines are beautiful enough in such places, and few more so than 

 the common hop ; but running roses, though often used in this way, 

 are the least suitable. Trees whose tops are not sound enough to 

 be thus used, may often be sawed oflF from one to three feet 

 above the ground, and used for bases of rustic flower-vases or 



* We protest against doing violence to old apple-trees by cutting them to pieces to graft 

 them with better ones. The beauty of a broad old tree is worth more than the additional value 

 of grafted fruit will ever be. One cannot see an old apple-tree near a house thus marred, with- 

 out thinking that the owner is either beauty-blind, or so penurious that he grudges the old tree 

 its room upon the lawn unless he can make it pay ground-rent 



