228 THE ORCHARD. [March. 
When any of your old fruit-trees, which you particularly esteem, 
appear on the decline, and are grown thin of young: wood, you may 
probably restore them, by heading down such limbs as are in the 
worst state, to those parts where young shoots appear, and close to the 
most -vigorous; but be careful not to do this generally, the same 
season, for that would give too sudden a check to the sap, and in all 
probability destroy the tree totally. But if every other branch all 
over the tree were headed at proper lengths, each close to some 
young shoot, new healthy wood would be produced, which would 
soon come into bearing. The next spring after the first branches 
were headed, the remaining old branches may be cut out, as directed 
above; after which, the head of the tree will be soon filled with bear- 
ing wood, which may afterwards be pruned as directed for other 
trees. This may be practised on either standard, wall, or espalier 
trees, 
Peaches and nectarines will require to be treated with more cau- 
tion than any other kinds; never head them lower down than you 
find young shoots or healthy branches, otherwise you Avill endanger 
their lives; and always cut close to the most vigorous of these, in or- 
der that the sap may be drawn that way, by which the wounds will 
heal and cover over. Indeed this caution will be generally useful, 
but more particularly with these. 
When any of the trunks of your trees become hollow, cut out all 
the loose rotten wood, and also examine the roots, cutting off the in- 
jured, rotten, or decayed parts. 
As you proceed in pruning, apply to the wounds either of the pre- 
ceding compositions which you prefer, in the manner directed; but 
if your trees are annoyed with worms, the medicated tar is decided- 
ly preferable. 
Examine now your fruit-trees, particularly the peaches; and 
if annoyed by worms either in their trunks, branches, about the 
surface of the ground, and a little under; pick out as many as you 
can with a sharp-pointed knife, and with as little injury to the bark 
as possible; scrape off clean, all the gum that appears on the stem, 
or branches, and wash all these parts, and any other that you 
suspect to be infested with these insects or their embryos, with 
the corrosive solution described in page 142, which you may make 
twice or three times as strong as there directed, without the least 
fear of its injuring the tree; then dress the wounded parts with the 
medicated tar, as there directed. 
I have at the present time (January 1805,) and have had for seve- 
ral weeks, the roots of Polyanthus-Narcissuses, hyacinths, and other 
bulbs, growing in bulb-glasses, filled with a much stronger solution 
of the corrosive sublimate, than that prescribed in page 142, and 
apparently in more health and vigour, than those which are growing 
in pure water: 1 have also washed the leaves, stems and branches, 
of various kinds of tender plants with it, and poured it on the earth 
about their roots in large quantities, without any other effect, than 
the destruction of the earth worms, and those which annoyed the 
plants. 
