Take a light hoe and remove the earth from the trunk of your trees. If
there are worms there you may detect them from the gum which has
exuded, or by the channels which they have made in the bark, or if by
neither of these, by the discoloration of the bark in spots. Scrape
the bark gently with the back of a knife, and you can easily detect
the traces of worms if any are there. Cut freely and boldly both ways
along their track so as to lay bare the channel in its whole
length—remove the worm, and the bark will very soon heal. Sometimes
four, six, and even more will be found in one tree. The ashes of stone
coal, blacksmiths’ cinders, wood ashes, lime, the refuse stems of
tobacco, planting tansy around the trunk, these, and dozens of other
remedies are proposed. For our own part we rely solely on our
jack-knife. In March or April, and then again in August or September,
according to the season, we search the trunk thoroughly. We can attend
to twenty trees in an hour or two; and when eating freely of delicious
peaches we never had a qualm of regret for having so spent the time.
We have practised sowing salt under fruit-trees with decided
advantage. If one pound of saltpetre be added to every six pounds of
salt, it will be yet better. We sow enough to make the ground look
moderately white, and prefer to do it in wet weather.
* * * * *
The most salable butter, quality being equal, is that which is neatest
done up. There is a great deal in the _looks_ of a thing. You’ll
always find it so.