Kecent Apple Failures of Western New York. 81 



and cultivating were removed. At the same time the tops of the 

 trees were thinned considerably, though not to such an extent as to 

 allow the sun to beat continuously upon the main branches. The 

 trunks and main limbs, so far as a man could reach, were scraped, 

 all the loose bark and moss being removed. This scraping was 

 performed solely for the purpose of making the trees look better. 

 * * * As soon as the pruning was accomplished and the great 

 quantity of brush removed, the ground was plowed, and plowed as 

 deeply as possible. To be sure, roots were broken, but this did no 

 harm. The ground was cultivated at intervals with the spring- 

 tooth harrow, and in August a second plowing, in the opposite 

 direction, was made. Ko crops were planted. There was no effect 

 produced upon the trees that year. The season's growth, if any, 

 was well under way when the first plowing was made. The leaves 

 continued yellow, and fell very early, as usual. 



" In 1886 the same treatment was repeated. Nearly as much 

 pruning was done as in the previous year ; this time, of course, 

 entirely in the tops of the trees. Care was exercised, however, not 

 to prune the tops so thin that the large limbs would be injured by 

 the sun. The trees early showed signs of improvement. Although 

 the summer was dry, the growth on all the trees was good, and the 

 leaves assumed a dark, vigorous color, and remained very late upon 

 the trees. So marked was the improvement in the orchard that it 

 was a subject of common reuiark. A fair crop of apples, some 300 

 bushels, was also gathered. 



" In the spring of 1887 the orchard was again plowed, deeply as 

 always before, and the sod was removed from all the trees by hand. 

 The tops are. now so high that the plow turned over nearly all the 

 sod. The ground was now in good heart. The trees set very full 

 of fruit and no pruning was attempted. Although the trees have 

 borne a heavy crop, and the season has been one of almost unprece- 

 dented drouth, the growth has been heavy. The bearing trees are 

 140 in number, of which less than 100 — all Northern Spy — are a 

 prolific variety and produced apples which find a demand in market. 

 There are a number of Sweet Romanites and others which can not 

 be expected to return a profitable crop. The sales for the year 

 have been as follows : 



6 



