340 TBANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



Mr. Bryant — I think where ground has been successively cropped 

 for several years with the same thing it becomes very much ex- 

 hausted, and do not believe it is practicable to plant a young orchard 

 where there has been an old one until it has been cropped several 

 years with something else. It is so with our nursery trees, and we 

 can not grow more than one crop on the same ground. 



Prof. Budd — I think if I had an old orchard like Mr. Cotta's I 

 would replant it, provided there was nothing the matter except the 

 land having become exhausted, but would enrich it with manure or 

 peat. It can be easily renewed, and a tree will do as well there as 

 anywhere. 



Mr. Cotta — I think the Professor's ideas on this matter are 

 sound, and I shall grub out all my old trees and crop the ground 

 several years before I plant a new orchard. I consider a west shelter 

 belt very essential and also good drainage. 



Mr. Minier — I have seen young trees that have been planted in 

 the places where old ones have been grubbed out, soon choked to 

 death by the old trees around them. I think it is a misfortune to 

 drain our orchard land too closely. If I can have the water four 

 feet under ground I am all right. The best drained lands we have is 

 on the creeks, where the water is below the surface far enough io 

 leave the ground sufficiently dry. 



Prof. Budd — I think if we select the most hardy varieties they 

 will do well on medium dry ground. I saw a large orchard in Russia 

 where the trees were watered in autumn, before freezing weather, 

 and mulched with sand, when the trees were watered, a sort of dyke 

 was made about them with the sand, and the enclosure filled with 

 water; then the sand was put back around the tree, retaining the 

 moisture. If all varieties were as hardy as the Duchess I would 

 plant them on any flat ground. 



0. W. Barnard — I think where we grub out an old tree and dig 

 out a hole four or five feet wide and fill in around the young trees 

 with fresh earth it will do well. Mulch for two or three years but 

 do not cultivate. We must have varieties that are adapted to our 

 locality. 



Mr. Kellogg — The best sites, are not generally improved lands 

 with us. In Wisconsin our timber ridges and clay soil are the only 



