49 



the cause what it may, we must consider what may be 

 done to avoid or alleviate it. 



We do not think there is much truth in Mr. 

 Beaton's theory, which will be found in a preceding 

 portion of this work ; viz., that a good stock having 

 been found, it would be advisable to procure all our 

 stocks by means of cuttings of the roots of such stock. 

 In the next place, we advise thorough drainage, and 

 the use of fresh loam. These are steps in the right 

 direction, for if they have not a tendency towards the 

 obliteration of the canker, they will at least conduce 

 to the health and permanency of the tree. 



Another point to which we would direct attention, 

 is the placing impervious bottoms as interceptors be- 

 tween the soil and subsoil ; and avoiding deep soils en- 

 riched by manure. In recommendation of this prac- 

 tice, we may be permitted to state that we have more 

 than a hundred trees which have been thus treated, at 

 various periods, within the last twenty years ; and that 

 the amount of canker with us is so trifling, that it 

 scarcely deserves consideration at all. We make a 

 point of thinning out all superfluous shoots every 

 winter ; however, by the shallow border or dwarfing 

 system, there is not a great amount of labour of this 

 kind to perform. Ripening of the wood we conceive 

 to be a principle of much importance, even with the 

 natives of temperate climes; and, although high and ex- 

 citing modes of cultivation may flatter for awhile by 



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