COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, Apbh. 28, 1857. 
of thorn unsightly. I do not mean wall or espalier- 
trained trees, which must ot necessity be at all tun 
subieotod to an artificial treatment, hut 1 allude to open 
Htandard or dwarf trees growing more or less in company 
with each other. Canker and irregular growth exist in 
many orchards, especially in tliose having a mixture o 
borts, and when the desire has been to grow some 
of the old worn-out varieties in proximity with healthy, 
vigorous young ones. This, however, is hardly deserving 
the name of an evil, since no management whatever on 
the part of tho cultivator can make them all grow 
alike ; nor is it fair to accuso him of maltreating those 
which no means whatever could keop in health long, 
hut what is worse than irregular growth is that 
disposition which many Apple and Dear treos have to 
become inons /jt'oivii at a much earlier date than they 
ought to be. .. 
This complaint is not confined to damp or cold 
situations, for it is equally prevalent on dry, stony soils; 
and it is noodloss to say that when trees are much 
attacked with this parasite it is impossible for thorn to 
produce heavy loads of usoful fruit. A modorato crop 
of small or inferior fruit is all that tho cultivator must 
expect,, and that not every year. Now, this moss-grown 
fruit, Lvoo system has become ft stauding ovil, and is 
assuredly on tho increase. Many years ago troos wore 
more free from it than they are now; that is, troos ot 
thirty or forty years of age had not such a decrepit 
appearance as those of tho sumo ago luivo now. 1 hoy 
were, in fact, longer lived, or at least lived longer 
in good health. Tho cause ot this is dilhoult to 
explain; for certain it is that the treatment they now 
receive is usually tho same us it was then, and wo 
may presume that tho soil retains tho same inhorout 
properties now us then. Wo eomo, theretoro, to tho 
conclusion that some pereeptiblo clmngo in tho seasons 
is at work in the matter, to compensate for which we 
are called on to adopt some of tho many artificial 
means within our power, and in applying these much 
judgment is required, otherwise tho result may bo tho 
reverse of that wished for, and the disappointment be 
multiplied. A brief glauoe at the condition of things 
will enable us to form some idea of the ovil to bo 
grappled with. 
In the til'st place wo will suppose an orchard of some 
acres of mixed standard Apple, Pear, and Pluui trees 
planted at regular intervals, with small fruits growing 
underneath them, the whole ground by this moans being 
closely cropped and taxed to the utmost, and enrich¬ 
ment in the shape of manure being but tardily supplied. 
Digging and hoeing the weeds is. perhaps, all that is 
done; and what is worse, it often happens that the 
gathering of the small fruit crop is obliged to bo done 
at the most improper time for the welfare of tho 
land. that is, immediately after heavy rains, when 
the soil is pressed into the condition of brick earth, 
and otVociually sealed against the beneficial etVeets of 
the sun Certainly small fruits uro not always gathered 
under such circumstances; but when fruit is vino it 
nms, bo gathered, whether the land be in a tit condition 
to bo trampled on or not, and one or two snob days 
oiten solidity it for a season. The gathering in of the 
\pplo crop is often done in worse weather still, a* 
low growers care much whether the fruit be wet or dr\ 
it it can be gathered Now all this, accompanied as it 
is In ,i total shading trom the sun, tends to lessen 
t o toi l tiny ot the land, and is only counteracted by the 
w inter’s digging and manuring. 
s tho way in which hundreds of acres of orchard 
- v -' ! in this county v kon:\ and, aftci 
bo dilhoult. novlnu vs (a nimisw.i (1>^ 
generally the natural habit of the trees is copied anu 
Ecus thinning and shortening of the shoots , 
•’some years is adopted ; hut by-and-by this is left off , 
a few years, and the tree becomes more or less dense 
the wood fills up, and a thinning of the wood agr, 
Ikes place when the tree has attained about its 
He. Some six or eight years after this, probably, 
may have another cutting or thinning, or it may 
allowed to grow as it likes. It then more or k 
thickens with useless wood, which gets mossy and tin 
the question arises, What is to be done . As the trees / 
this time have a hoary, diseased appearance, theextreu 
tips being often composed of dead wood, and eve 
shoot above one year old coated with moss of tli 
silvory grey colour which, though beautiful in itself, 
sadly at variance with a healthy state of things who 
it grows, tho next stage is the production of Mistlete 
after which the utility of the tree for hearing fruit is o: 
of tho question. But what can he done betore the k 
etago to arrest farther injury ? 
As I luivo before said, there is much difference 
opinion boro about pruning aged, trees.. Many growc 
of experience say that it is useless doing so, or wor 
than that, and point to the many instances in whn 
aged troos fall into a sickly condition by being mm 
cut. The vigorous constitution of tho tree being goi. 
it cannot withstand extensive amputations, and mm 
facts boar out this idea; consequently many grown 
allow their trees when old to grow on as long as tic 
are worth growing, and then destroy them. Otlm 
follow tho example because it does not involve m 
oxpense, as an omission ot duty is much easier tin 
tho commission of a fault. Bo this as it may, the bulk 
orchard Apple and Pear trees are rarely cut at all an 
they have attained their full size, and have shown sigi 
of approaching old age, and ol those which have bu 
out only a portion do woll altorwards. 
Now, though it would ho presumptuous in mo 
condemn tho systom of old experienced Iruit grower 
think something more might be done to save old tre 
than usually is done, and 1 will here detail the mode 
luivo adopted with an orchard consisting ot stand 
Apple and Pear treos, which, during the last two or tin 
years, have become much encumbered with moas ai 
its concomitant features, dead tips ot wood, &c. -1° 
orchard, 1 must observe, was on grass, which has i 
lus 
many years boon depastured on by sheep, but has n 
received any other assistance. The trees are a fair o- 
lance apart, but tho last two or three years have prodnu 
only inditleront crops, last year being all but a to. 
failure, while there lias been a great increase ot usele 
wood, and a. thick iloeco of moss has covered the up'- 
and sunny side of each shoot, even in trees that on. 
hardly to ho yet at their prime. Why tho moss she. 
have so suddenly miido its appearance 1 do notkne. 
certain it is that, a damp bottom lias no hand in 
atlair, as the ground is dry, resting on a stone-shaa 
subsoil. Now, whatever might he the cause of faid- 
l will not hero attempt to explain; but tho trees w 
nearly all had, and tho means l have taken to impm' 
them will need but a few words to explain. Wlieta 
my plan succeeds or fails I will in due time acquf 
the verniers of Tun Cottaur Uauuknkr. 
In the first place l bad all the trees carefully t- 
moderately pruned or thinned in their thickest par¬ 
taking care to out out the lowest branches that w' 
likely to hang in tho way, and in many of tho troes ’ 
parts out out amounted to quite two-thirds of the who 
of the hearing wood. This, of course, took some tie 
In doing, but was carried out. Tin 1 next thing w; 
.... . . v*"'" • «'*vi tu viviiu^, mu, w us tmrnou out. i no 
u,i. it would dit loult, perhaps, to improve the try and destroy some of the moss, part of which w; 
Mv V 11 ! u . ; 0 M'bunod; but we now come to the rubbed otV in the priming process alluded to. A ooatr 
nun'll disputed point, tho pruning ot old lives Yeung of lime wash would undoubtedly have boon the brt 
ones may be out into any shape t io gvowov pleases, but tin my. but m.u.i,.* ink. I. tb» 
ol luno wash would undoubtedly havo boon the ho. 
thing, but that would have been a tedious job. I» th’-‘ 
