COMMON APPLE-TREE. 309 



but it does not form so desirable a tree. When intended to be grown as a dwarf, 

 it may be inserted on stocks of tlie Siberian crab, the " Wise Apple," {court pendu 

 plat, of the French,) or on paradise stocks. It may also be propagated by march- 

 ing or grafting by approach ; that is, by uniting a scion to a stock standing 

 near by, without being separated from its parent tree. 



Preparatory to the planting of an orchard, it is desirable to determine the qual- 

 ity of the fruit of seedlings at as early an age as possible, and to know whether 

 they are to be cut off at the ground and grafted, or to be preserved entire. In 

 order to do this, the following devices have long been practised, and have usually 

 been attended with success. Any lime within the month of May or June, select a 

 horizontal branch of the tree designed to be rendered fruitful, and remove from 

 the part near its junction with the trunk, a ring of bark from one fourth to one 

 half of an inch in breadth, taking precaution, at the same time, to rub oti', within 

 the space operated upon, every part of the bark, quite to the sap-wood, in order 

 to obstruct the descending juices in the succeeding autumn. Another expedient 

 employed for the same purpose, is, to make two turns of a copper wire closely 

 round the bark, with a repetition of the operation at some distance below, and leave 

 it to be incorporated by the growth of the tree. Should either of these devices 

 prove insufficient, or should the healing of the wounded parts follow too quickly, 

 the operations may be repeated in the same, or in the following season. The 

 total removal of a ring of bark produces the desired effect, sooner, by a whole 

 year, than a mere stricture upon it, although the pressure from the wire, of itself, 

 finally kills the bark underneath. Alkaline, or ammoniacal preparations have 

 also been applied to young trees, as well as to old ones, for the purpose of stim- 

 ulating their growth, and accelerating their fruitfulness, such as white-washing 

 their trunks and branches, rubbing them with soap-suds, and spreading round 

 their roots lime, gypsum, charcoal, ashes, &c. ; and, "human urine," says Colu- 

 mella, " which you have let grow old for six months, is well fitted for the shoots 

 of young trees. If you apply it to vines, or to young apple-trees, there is nothing 

 that contributes more to make them bear an abundance of fruit ; nor does this 

 only produce a greater increase, but it also improves both the taste and the flavour 

 of the wine, and of the apples." 



Apple-trees are generally fit for planting out in the orchard at about the age of 

 seven years, at which time, if they have been properly treated in the nursery, 

 they will be about an inch and a half in diameter at the middle of the stem. 

 The particular age, however, at which they should be removed to their final des- 

 tination, after they have formed a good head, is not very important, provided 

 they do not much exceed the above-named size ; and the objection to a larger size, 

 is the difficulty of taking them up with a due proportion of roots, so as to prevent 

 them from receiving too great a check. If trees are to be purchased from a nur- 

 sery, either as seedlings, or ready grafted, and the sorts cannot be relied upon, 

 they should be inspected in the previous summer while in leaf; and those 

 selected which give the greatest promise of making good and healthy trees, and 

 the most likely to be good bearers. They should have full and flourishing heads, 

 and broad, roundish leaves, as such generally bear the largest fruit, and the most 

 abundant crops. In winter, such trees will present a larger and fuller bud than 

 those the leaves of which are small and pointed; but though those are favourable 

 indications of the size of the fruit, and the productiveness of the tree, they arc by 

 no means so with regard to other qualities; as the trees maybe early or late 

 bearers, and the fruit red, yellow, or green ; and whether they will produce either 

 good cider-apples, or those better adapted to the table, can only be known when 

 they produce their first fruit. If they then prove not such as are desirt'd, or there 

 be too great a proportion of one sort, grafting or budding in the head should be had 

 recourse to. This will, it is true, protract the time of bearing a year or two; 



