Illustrations of vegetable physiology, practically applied to the cultivation of the garden, the field and the forest. Consisting of original observations, collected during an experience of fifty years / [James Main].

  • Main, James.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Illustrations of vegetable physiology, practically applied to the cultivation of the garden, the field and the forest. Consisting of original observations, collected during an experience of fifty years / [James Main]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in raising healthy trees of some of the old, esteemed sorts of apples. Whether this difficulty has arisen from a careless choice of grafts, or from the assumed cause above alluded to, we are not quite satisfied, because the failures have not been universal; and because we know, that if a young golden pippin, for instance, be planted in an old orchard or garden, it seldom thrives; whereas, if planted in fresh, newly trenched soil, it both grows and bears well. It is also well known, that though a great majority of the old golden pippin, golden rennet, and nonpareil trees have gone to decay in old orchards, there are in many places fine healthy trees of all ages growing vigorously ; so that much of this failure of orchard- fruit may have proceeded from local or accidental causes. An apple-tree, like all others, has a natural term of life. It stands till the interior of the trunk is dead and rotten, and then falls a prey to the wind : not- withstanding that the vitality on its exterior, though weakened, may be as essentially perfect as ever. It appears that the amiable Evelyn did much in his time towards advising the planting of orchards, as well as forests; and it is probable, that the orchards planted about that era, (1700,) are those which of late years have so suddenly gone to decay. Planting and maintaining orchards has been al- ways considered as a legitimate object in rural eco- nomy ; and more or less attended to, according as the usage or taste of the rural population in articles of