SECRETARY'S REPORT. 155 



country and ia other countries, to plant out seedlings one or two 

 years old, into nursery rows, and to bud or graft them near the 

 ground, within the next year or two ;* then after one, two or three 

 years' growth of the bud or scion, to remove them permanently to 

 the orchard. This may be done here to advantage with such sorts 

 as are sufGciently hardy, and vigorous growers ; but there are 

 many, desirable varieties which do not generally succeed by this 

 method ; and for such it is found greatly preferable to allow the seed- 

 ling stock to attain sufiBcient age and size to be grafted in the limbs, 

 after being established in the orchard. This involves considerably 

 more labor, but without it, success cannot be looked for with any 

 good degree of confidence. The attempt will be made, when treat- 

 ing of varieties, to mention those, so far as our knowledge extends, 

 which it is necessary to graft in the limbs. For this, and for many 

 reasons I would recommend the Maine orchardist, as a general 

 rule, to have a nursery and grow his own trees. Evei'y orchardist 

 ought to be acquainted with the work needful in the nursery. 

 Scarcely any farm work is more easily learned, none is n)ore pleas- 

 ant Sons and daughters should become familiar with it, and work 

 in it, for, to say nothing of the gratification and profit to be derived 

 thereby, nothing binds children to the home of their childhood 

 more than fine fruit trees of their own care and planting. An hour 

 or two of attention given at suitable times will keep a nursery, of 

 sufficient size for anj' one famil}^ in good order. 



For this purpose, let seeds from the Hardiest and tlirifiiest trees 

 ii\ the neighborhood be thinly sown in autumn, in good soil, in 

 beds, covering the seed about one inch deep. When they grow, 

 keep them free from weeds and see that they do not crowd each 

 other. At the end of one or two years let them be lifted, in the 

 spring ; — select the healthiest and hardiest, and only these, be they 

 few or many, throw the Others away and plant the best in nursery 

 rows, four feet apart. A part of the trees may be set eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows. This is for such as are destined to be 

 budded or grafted before removal to the orchard. The rest may 

 be set at three feet apart, and remain until of proper size to plant 

 out finally. The place selected for the nursery should be sheltered 



* The only notable exccpt'on to this rule is in the case of apple trees propagated by 

 roolyraflin'ij, as extensively practiced in Western New York, — a method which results 

 in trees worse than worthless for our climate — and which will be again noticed before 

 we leave the subject. 



