The stones of the field and trees of the forest are teachers, and what is more beautiful, they teach the truth. We planted a white oak, some years since, not in honor of any warrior or political race horse on the .track for election, but to add one more variety to our pretty well duplicated grounds. After it had stood a year or two we noticed in midsummer a circle around it, some five feet from the trunk, and some six inches wide, where the grass had died out. The next year, this circle was removed from its outer rim, still further from the tree, and of an increased width, and so it has continued to travel for several years. The fact gave rise to many wonders as to the cause among observers, but the inference we drew from the fact was that the white oak was a great eater, that the mass of feeders lay under the circles where the grass was killed, and pushed away from the tree in proportion as the circle enlarged.

The native chestnut, planted out gave the same illustration. In this case of both trees, the inner circle became sodden with grass as new circles were forming beyond, and the increased width of circle from year to year showed us that the feeders were increasing to meet additional demands of the tree.

To us» it was a lesson without labor or cost. It taught us that the practice so universally adopted of manuring fruit trees for a little distance, just around the body of the tree, could never meet their demands for food. A few feeders may remain, to be sure scattered along the roots which are yearly increasing in size, but the body of them are yearly pushing away in search of a greater amount of food. Fully to subserve the purpose then for which manure is applied to fruit trees, the mass of it must annually be placed further from the trunk of the tree for keeping up with the circle of feeders to gratify their demands.

The observation teaches another fact. A preparation of ground to receive a tree, for a few feet square does not fully answer their demands. It may do well to give them a start, but when they get to the end of this starting point, disease and dwarfishness will follow. The man who plants an orchard of any kind of fruit, must give all the soil an ample preparation, or his success cannot be complete.

The root, is the most important part of a tree. If they can spread and extend themselves, the trunk and branches will follow of course, and in due time the fruit will appear.

Again, the power of a tree to resist winds depends much upon the strength and, circuit of its roots. If they are fine and far spreading, but little danger will arise from stormy gales. I am often pleased to see the Horticulturist going to the root of the matter.