72 



CHAPTER X. 



On the advantages and method of watering the tops of fruit 

 trees. 



The leaves of trees are very essential to 

 their fertility, they attract from the atmos- 

 phere, imbibe moisture, and perspire away 

 or cast off any crude juices which the tree 

 rejects, and otherwise assist it. They are so 

 far necessary, that when a tree in a flourish- 

 ing condition is divested of them, the loss is 

 soon discovered in the check which it thereby 

 receives. The removal of the leaves is also 

 very injurious to those buds situated at their 

 bases, as it prevents them from coming to a 

 proper state of maturity, but the retaining 

 of them very materially assists in getting 

 them properly ripened. Food is also con- 

 veyed to the support of the tree through the 

 pores of the wood, particularly the young 

 shoots, they being composed of a number of 

 fine vessels. 



As it is very evident that the parts of the 

 tree here treated of are very essential ones 

 by which support is administered to it. Wa- 

 tering the top contributes very much towards 

 it, for the vegetable nutriment which is con- 

 tained in the water, is by these vehicles con- 



