18 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Under the fervid summers and arctic winters of America, when not mit- 

 igated by the equalizing influences of large bodies of water, the tree is 

 often lacking in hardiness; but, thanks to our lacustrine conditions, here 

 in the fruit belt, this liability is less serious with us than is the case 

 further west. Still, even in Michigan, the bark of the trunk, when fully 

 exposed to the sun during the heat of the day, and anon subjected to 

 severe freezing, frequently becomes so far diseased as to invite the attacks 

 of the borer, to the serious injury and often the final death of the tree. 



Such attacks never occur except in positions open to the sun. Such 

 being the case, the obvious preventive is the shading of the trunk. This 

 may most readily be done by branching the trees very low; by which 

 means the stress of the wind upon the tree and the loss of fruit when in 

 bearing, will be in a good degree avoided; while greater convenience in 

 gathering the crop will be secured. 



Prune as little as possible, always with a well-defined ideal in mind; not 

 a precise model, to which all are to be brought, for the reason that 

 varieties vary in habit, while such tendency can not well be overcome; but 

 it should rather be a general plan for providing a foundation for the head 

 and building the superstructure thereupon. With such ideal in mind, the 

 pruning can be mostly done with the jack-knife. Pruning to direct growth 

 is always to be done when the tree is dormant; to check growth, or to 

 hasten or increase fructification, in summer, 



VAKIETIES FOE THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



This branch of the subject has reference more especially to city, village, 

 and suburban residents, with comparatively restricted grounds, who for 

 this reason must limit their planting to varieties which are less likely to 

 be supplied from the market in satisfactory quality and condition. 



Dwarf trees are often recommended for this purpose, since they will 

 require less space and therefore admit of greater variety; but in planting 

 these we will soon discover that we have a pretty but expensive plaything, 

 of very little value so far as fruit is concerned. In these remarke we have 

 reference mainly to trees worked on Paradise stocks, which rarely get 

 beyond the dignity of bushes and must have high cultivation and special 

 care. Doncain stocks, which are more common, can only by courtesy be 

 called dwarfs, as they afford little if any advantage in this respect over 

 what are known as free stocks. 



Beyond a variety or two, strictly for culinary uses, such as Early 

 Harvest, Red Astrachan, and perhaps Keswick Codlin, the planter should 

 by no means blindly accept the selections of the commercial orchardist, 

 but should rather forage among the varieties which, from excessive 

 delicacy of texture, deficient size, or unattractive color, are unfitted for 

 the market, and yet possess just the gustatory qualities which most 

 fit them for a place upon the table of the discriminating lover of fruit in 

 its most perfect condition. 



SELECTIONS FOR THE FAMILY ORCHARD. 



The ideas already put forth respecting selection of varieties for the 

 fruit garden, only require amplification to adapt them to the case of the 

 family orchard, since, in the latter case, the supply of this fruit is expected 

 to cover the entire year, as it may readily be made to do if properly 



