Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-07-03
price e Two Cents.
abe lailp SIM.
MONDAY, July 3, I:s5l.
scrnniI,a nd Nasl.inq Trees.

The report alluded to below, is. well .calcu-
lated to arrest some of the outrages against
nature, SO common, particularly in Cities
Mr.. Copeland is an enthusiast in his profess
sion, but his "zeal is according to knowledge"
aid we look for many reforms to take place
through his instrumentality. We wish we
could spare room for the whole report, but as
we cannot, the condensing pen Of Professor
NASH of the Conn. palley Farmer, win give
the reader its general outlines.
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has
published report made to it by committee
appointed to inquire into ''the uses and abuses
of the practice Of scraping and washing trees.@
The conclusions arrived at are so Numerically
opposed to prevalent opinion aud practice, and
seem at the same time so well supported by
arguments, that we need no apology for pubs
fishing the resolutions in which those conclu-
sions are contained, though we do not endorse
everything contained in the report
The resolves referred to are as follows
"That, whereas it is common custom To
scrape off the outside bark Of fruit and orna-
mental trees, and wash aud plaster them with
lime and other preparations, in the hope of
benehting the trees by the destruction Of
parasites and insects injurious to vegetation;
and of improving their general appearance, the
Massachusetts, Horticultural Society do hereby
resolve, for reasons which have been stated,
that we consider this practice Of no benefit to
the tree, from its inability to affect the major
ity of the insects which are really injurious; and
unnecessary in the case Of ichens and MOSES,
they being not the cause but the consequence
Of disease and decay, and positive violation
of the laws of vegetable physiology, and con-
sequently aninjury to all trees, (but to orna-
mental ones inrparticular,) to an incaleulabls
amount.
3D. That lchens and inosses in a healthy
state of trees are, so farascan be ascertained no
injury to the bark, but from their varied col
ors, form one of its chiefest ornaments. Any
operations for their removal are to be scrupul-
ously avoided and reprehended.
Sd That as strict inquiry has shown
that bark lice, woolly aphis, and some Dor
ers, do lay their eggs, and hatch their
young upon the bark of apples, pears
peaches, and naples, near the ground,
and in the forks of the branches q gentle rub
bling with some plable but stiff wire or 9TH
er brush, on the parts affected, to be followed
by washing with weak soap, or whale oil
soap suds is desirable, and wiz be Of benefit
when careful examination shall have shown
that the eggs are deposited upon any tree in
question, but that this process is unnecessary
and uneconomleal, when the presence of the
enemy has not been most clearly proved"
The other resolutions are to the same effect,
one of them being directed against all alkaline
preparations plastered on to trees.
These conclusions are endorsed by Geo. B.
Emerson, the learned author of the trees Of
Massachusetts,, and by Mr.. Tuckerman, who
has made the subject of ichens his particular
study. They arc, moreover, supported by
many arguments, drawn from practice, ex-
pertinent, theory and analogy, but we have
not space to enter upon these.
The report is drawn up by r. Morris Cope
land, a gentleman who has adopted the occu-
patton of landscape gardener which we
take to mean the tasteful arrangement of
grounds. AT any rate, we observe that he
has been employed to lay ont the grounds
around the new Insane asylum at Taunton,
and the Reform School at Westboro'
Mr., Copeland seems to US to be starting in
the right way, for III his report he protests
most strenuously against toftufing nature.
urging, on the other hand, that she be fol-
! lowed and initiated Conn. Valley Farmer.