66 



WATERING ROOTS. 



omitted, providing the borders are moist to 

 the bottom; if not, a good watering ought 

 once or twice to be given so as to effect 

 this object. 



The period of commencing this operation 

 must be regulated agreeably to the following 

 manner. If the weather has been wet pre- 

 vious to the opening of the bloom in spring, 

 I do not water the trees at the roots until I 

 judge that the border is becoming dry, but 

 if the season previous to the opening of the 

 bloom has been dry, I give each tree ten 

 or twelve gallons of water at the roots, 

 just before the bloom expands. If I have a 

 sufficiency of manure water I apply that, but 

 otherwise soft pond water. If pond water 

 cannot be conveniently had for the purpose, 

 it must be water that has been exposed to 

 the atmosphere for three or four days pre- 

 vious to using. 



By the application of this at the time di- 

 rected, I find that the fruit always sets a 

 great deal better than if it were omitted; 

 as it very materially contributes to the pro- 

 duction of perfect stamina and pistillum, 

 without which watering, in many cases they 

 would be defective, particularly Pear trees ; 

 also in dry seasons, generally the greater 

 part of the bloom drops off, which is caused 

 by the deficiency of support to strengthen 

 it at the footstalk. This watering at the 

 roots is more particularly required for wall 



