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MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS.

CONCLUDING ESSAY on the SCIENCE of ORCHARDING. BY THOMAS SKIP DYOT BUCKNALL, Efq.

[From the Fourteenth Volume of the TRANSACTIONS of the SOCIETY inftituted at LONDON, for the Encouragement of ARTS, MANUFACTURES, and COMMERCE.]

"IN

N this year's paper I defire to introduce to the fociety fome valuable additions to the fcience of orcharding

be induced to grow, by a suitable manure and proper management.

"The baneful effects of canker may be nearly banished from the more delicate fruit trees, and the oozing of gum in great measure prevented in the different fpecies. of the cherry, and other stone fruits.

"First the removing trees of the age of twenty years or upwards, to fupply any deficiencies; by which means the rows in the plan tations will be fully kept up, and the orchard remain perfect, with trees of the fame age and fort as thofe which have decayed or died. Secondly-the engrafting ofgard to the health of trees, and new bark upon trees that have been injured by cattle, carts, &c. and thus trees kept in a perfect ftate, which otherwife would have died, or foon gone to decay. But I with previously to imprefs on the minds of the fociety, that, in the whole extenfive orchards throughout the kingdom, moft of the standard fruit-trees may be prevented becoming rotten, hollow, or much decayed, until, by great length of time, a drynefs, want of energy, or by their own weight, they fall into actual diffolution; and as it is allowed, that large trees yield the moft productive crops, either individually, or per acre, attention fhould be given to run the trees to Lize; for at prefent there is no competent idea to what extent trees may

"In the firft paper I did myself the honour of prefenting to the fociety, I reprefented that pruning, is an important article, with re

their bearing; and, if judiciouly 'done, they will come into bearing fooner, and continue in vigour for nearly double their common age.'-(See N.A.Register for 1793, p. [170].) That attentive care which chooses the proper foil; places the trees at due diftances, according to their natural growth; keeps the branches free and open, that the fun may pafs over the ground; all being perfectly pruned. and regularly cleaned, fo that the. tree may become healthy, round and large, and carefully apply the manure and culture moft proper for fertilizing the lands appropriated to orcharding: when thefe advantages fhall be really united, it may rea fonably be expected that the fruits mutt be larger, finer coloured, freer I 2

from

from fpecks, and of a richer quality; whence fuch fruits must have a pre-eminence in the markets; or, if originally intended to be thrown into the mill, the cider will be more in quantity, ftronger, and higher flavoured; proofs of which may eafily be brought. As I apprehend the orchards and standard fruit-gardens of this country may foon be estimated at fome hundred thoufand acres, and should expect from the improvements attempted to be introduced, that in ten years time each acre, on an average, will increase by the improved culture, to more than one pound per acre in value per annum, I hope it will not be thought arrogant in me to fay, that I look upon myself as being the actual means of benefiting my country to the amount of more than three hundred thousand pounds

a-year.

"And if orchardifts will confider this pofition to be founded in truth, it will be an incitement to their exertions. The premiums offered by the fociety to promote the proper planting and culture of orchards, it is expected will fpread emulation among the planters, and (aided by the extenfive improvements of inland navigation, by which fruit and cider may be conveyed from one extremity, of the kingdom to the other), the culture of orchards may be regarded as a national concern.

"When pruning fhall be fully understood, and generally practifed, the benefits refulting therefrom will appear to be much more the effect of judgment than the refult of actual labour; for I have often mentioned, among my friends, my expectation, when the trees are properly brought into order, the whole fyftem will be little other than penknife-pru'ning, except what may arife from accident or neglect. So far from

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wishing to have large limbs wan. tonly taken from trees, the rule is, keep the branches out of the reach of cattle, then let them follow their natural growth.' (N. A. Regifter for 1794, p. [144]). This would foon be verified, if a few proprietors and cottagers confidered the nature of this business, and began pruning their own trees from the first planting, by way of example. When the cottager comes to prune his mafter's trees, then will each concur in opinion, for it depends more upon the mina than upon the hand; and yet there is no mystery-the mafter speaking, the cottager comprehends his directions, and thus the work would go on properly. In Mr. Boulding's certificate (N. A. R. for 1793, p. [173], we were fometimes in doubt whether a particular branch 'fhould be taken off or not; the rule established was, confider,

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will that branch be in the way "three years hence? if it will, the 'fooner it is off the better.'

"I have taken much pains to correct prejudice and establish a rational culture, and have no doubt but it will become general; yet, I muft confefs, I fhould like to fee it fully established in my own time. The whole fyftem is grounded on the regular operations of nature in the productions of vegetation: the advantages are fully explained in the refpective papers; and, for the mere labourer, there is a fhort abstract and inftructions in Vol. XIII. (N. A. R. for 1795, p. [177].) I have reconfidered every thought, and find them all concenter in the fingle word HEALTH.

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My chief inducement in writing on the art of pruning, was te refcue fo valuable a branch agriculture from neglect, or from the more destructive manner in

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which the work has hitherto been performed. Obferve in my new fyftem, the trees continue of the fame fize both before and after pruning, and all the extreme hoots keep at the fame distance, ⚫ which is an improvement not be⚫fore brought into practice.' (N. A. R. for 1794, p. [144].)

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"I have undertaken to produce four apple-trees within the fame inclofure, each of which shall cover ten poles of ground long before they fall into actual decay; and for that purpose have measured four trees on the north fide of Sittingbourne, in an orchard belonging to a gentleman at Maidstone; and, with proper management, there is no doubt but they may be brought to that fize. As they ftand close to the road, where they will be under general obfervation, I should think, if a visible improvement becomes apparent in trees thus marked for public trial, it would counteract the negligent habit of still fuffering large trees to continue fo incum bered; these trees are of great magnitude, and cannot be lefs than an hundred years old; are in high health; yet much over-run with ftumps, dead wood, mofs, &c. I remember the ground more than forty years, and think if my fyftem had been introduced when that orchard was first planted, there would have been, instead of four trees, at leaft ten times that number, and of equal value. I muft fay they are noble trees, and might become beautiful, if that epithet may with propriety be applied to an appletree. I have had a long correfpondence with the gentleman, either to purchase the orchard, or to have the liberty of pruning thofe trees gratis; and, under fuch permiffion, I have determined not a branch fhall be touched, but with

confent of the tenant: I must not fay more upon this fubject until I know the refult; if I am difappointed, there are other trees in the neighbourhood of the fame age, but they are neither fo healthy, nor fo well fuited for my purpose.

"Several times I have been asked how much an old tree ought to be pruned? - The proper anfwer would be, if it be very old, and much incumbered, do not let in the cold winds; but, with care, take off the ftumps, with all the decayed, rotten, and blighted branches, leaving the reft to the difcretion of each perfon, who will foon fee how much is neceffary; felf-conviction being the best school for improvement. The truth is, whoever would form orchards to produce credit to himself and profit to his fucceffor, muft not fuffer the trees to become old before the operations commence, but determine that pruning, cleaning, and rubbing off the rotten bark, fhould be begun in the nursery, and regularly continued to the extremity of old-age; from which method very little wood need be taken off at a time; and, by ufing medication, the wounds will heal, without caufing any more blemishes than the tree was fubject to at the time the limb was taken off; for it is not the first cutting which blemishes the tree, but the corrofion, arifing from neglect.

"Let each perfon therefore determine, that no standard fruit-tree fhould be fuffered to remain incumbered with rotten and decaying branches; for thefe, admitting the water into the tree, and contaminating the balfamic virtues of the fap, lay the foundation of fure deftruction to the tree, and furnish to infects a nidus under the rotten bark, in which they depofit their eggs.

13 "i men

"I mentioned to Mr. Fauffet, in the year 1789, as appears in Vol. XI. (N. A. R. for 1793, p. [171],) that the greater part of the mifchief affecting my trees, arofe from infects, vermin, and microfcopic animalculæ, getting under the bark, which has the last year been more fully elucidated by William Hamp fon, of Dewnap, efq. in the thirteenth volume of Tranfactions, (N. A. R. for 1795, P. [177],) under the article Infects; and the prevention is there fo properly pointed out by him, that, in the character of orchardift general, I wifh ftrongly to enforce the practice. I have often feen whole crops of the more delicate apples deftroyed by the foliage being eaten off in the fpring: the hardy fruits are not fo liable to thefe difafters, for the ftrong health of those trees in a great measure fecures theni from fuch depredations.

"Laft fummer, in Kent, I had much converfation with fome very intelligent men, on the subject of orcharding and general agriculture. A gentleman on the hills fhewed me fome large trees, and afked my opinion. I replied, 'Do nothing; for you can gain no credit by them, from the energy or active 'powers of vegetation having been long exhaufted in thofe trees :' but I pointed out fome young ones where pruning might be happily applied, and he might make a trial on one of the large ones.

"At Brambling, I vifited an orchard at the request of the owner; the trees required more cleaning than pruning, and I requested he would be careful to attend the operation himself, and his orchard would become more valuable, by the quantity and quality of the fruit. I recommended him to enclose the ground, which contained

about fix trees, with hurdles, and he might easily unite that fpot with his pig-ftyes, and fuffer the hogs to be conftantly running over that ground; and, from the manure thus obtained, the trees would receive a vifible energy, which would foon appear in the growth of thofe trees, when compared with the others, and that the improvement of the trees was to be the criterion for him to act by; for the freer the trees grow, the more effectually they recover the pruning, by throwing out young wood; and I remarked, that if the orchard was my own, I would open the gate, without reward, for the drovers to bring in the yearling cattle, which pafs the road from October to Midfummer, for three years; and fuch practice would double the value of the fruit: I mean, to what it will be ten years hence, for the trees are vifibly going off, though now they are just in a state to be recovered,

"Laft year I recommended cleaning by foap-fuds (N. A. R. for 1796, p. [176) A gentleman at Wandfworth ufes oil, which has a wonderfully good effect. I fhould think the oil might be applied about a month after the fuds. As I am, in large concerns, a friend to cheapnefs for the bulk of mankind, I imagine any damaged oil would do: oil certainly is bene, ficial to trees.

"Thefe obfervations are fuf. ficient to fhew that I am attentive, and vary the advice, according to the ftate and value of the trees. Some gentlemen in my neighbourhood have made very handfome exertions; but I wish to bring the improving trees into univerfal prac tice, and keeping them in bearing to a great age; and would recommend that perfons, for their own fatisfaction, fhould felect a certain

number

number of trees, according to their fancy, and mark them in pairs, as to their age, freeness of growth, and other circumftances, fuitable to trial, prune and manure one, and leave the other in the ftate of nature; but, for experiment, do not prune two trees, ftanding next to each other, in the fame year, when the pre-eminence of the practice will foon appear:-fuch a mode is bringing orcharding to a fair trial; and, if I had been fo prudent as to have managed my trees alternately, two-thirds of the growers in Eaft Kent would have acquired the fcience before this time. It may appear that I argue this fubject too ftrongly; but, when we recollect that the fociety has been thirty years engaged, and fhewn mott affiduous and laudable exertions, aided by many high premiums, to afcertain the comparative advantages of the drill and broad-caft, hulbandry, we must ceafe to won der that the fcience of orcharding has not made greater progrefs.

"It is recommended, that the rows of trees fhould not ftand north and fouth, but a point of the compafs towards the eaft, as the fun will then fhine up the rows foon after ten o'clock, which, in the fpring of the year, will ferve to diffipate the vapours collected in the night thefe vapours ftunt the fruit in the early ftages of its growth; and, where the fhaws are properly attended to, this pofition will beft enable them to divide and blunt the power of the winds, and prevent blights, and the flaw might be a little brought over the fouth: but, as each fituation has a predominant wind, this is only hinted to put the planter upon his guard: the fhaw alfo will greatly protect the fruit from the feverity of the autumnal winds, at which feafon half the

crop of fruit is thrown from the tree before it is ripe; and the heads at that time of the year being loaded with fruit and leaves, many trees are actually torn out of the ground, or fo lacerated as to be fpoiled, which a proper fhaw might prevent. Judicious fhelter thould be the firft object thought of in forming an orchard on a large fcale.

"Had I been poffeffed of ground near my own dwelling, I fhould ten years ago have planted an extenfive experimental orchard - it would have given me much pleafure; but there is no land attainable; and experiments cannot well be conducted at a distance, to any great credit, where the only object is to raife emulation by way of example.

I

"When I pruned the trees in my orchards, at Sittingbourne, in the year 1790, they being young, cut freely, for they were greatly incumbered and decaying, and half the wounds were made by taking off the ftumps, and cutting down the cankers and gum, as certificates fully prove (N. A. R. for 1793, p. [173]); and I was certain the trees would be greatly improved by the pruning: but I must mention they have not been touched fince, left any person who may examine the orchard by way of obfervation, might confound the former and new wounds together.

"Let no one be afraid of the expence, for that is trivial; fourpence-halfpenny per tree once in three years would overpay it, after the trees have been brought into order, if the mafter would only take care they are kept clean, and the cafual accidents duly attended to. According to my ideas, the age of a tree is not to be confidered; for the judgment must be taken from the energy and freeness of growth, as many trees are in a 44

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