MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, S^c. 51 



When the heat begins to decline, and the fruit to swell, 

 put a fresh lining of leaves, two feet and a half broad, round 

 the beds. The beds may be broken up the second winter ; by 

 which time you will find the top part of them rotted to a fine 

 black vegetable mould, which will be the best manure for trees. 



A good coat of this manure once in two or three years 

 will be sufficient for the borders where the wall-trees stand, 

 and inuch better than dung, which I by no means approve 

 of for trees, unless it be perfectly rotten and mixed up with 

 mould. 



Some of the leaves will be found not quite rotten at the 

 bottom of the beds ; these may be mixed up with fresh dry 

 leaves from the park, garden, &c. and used for making new 

 beds. 



Of Grafting old Apple-Trees* 



It frequently happens, that, through some mistake or 

 other, after waiting ten or twelve years for a tree to come into 

 a bearing state, it is then found that the fruit is neither fit for 

 the table nor kitchen ; in such case, we always graft them the 

 following spring, observing to graft on the finest and healthiest 

 shoots, and as near as possible to the old graft, and where the 

 cross shoots break out ; by so doing, you will have some fruit 

 the second year ; and in the third, if properly managed, you 

 will have as much as on a maiden-tree of fifteen years stand- 

 ing*. 



The canker, if any, must be carefully pared off the branch, 

 and the scion must be taken from a sound healthy tree. 



Whenever an incision is made for budding or grafting, 

 from that moment the canker begins. I would, therefore, re- 

 commend to those employed in budding or grafting, as soon 

 as the incision is made, and the bud or graft inserted, to rub 

 in with the finger, or a brush, some of the composition before 

 the bass is tied on ; then cover the bassf all over with the com- 

 position as thick as it can be laid on with a brush, working it 

 well in. If this operation be performed in a proper manner, 

 and in a moist season, it will answer every purpose, without ap- 

 plying any grafting clay. 



This I have frequently done, and found it succeed per- 

 fectly to my wishes. Observe, not to slacken too soon the 



* This rule inust be of great use, and I find it to liave been practised with 

 great success at Kensington. 



t Bats is the stuff of which are made the mats that are put round trunks, 

 &c. in the shipping of goods. It is a nice soft ligament, and is much better 

 than any other, as it never resists the swelling of ihe wood. 



