STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 21 



these rules. The idea of allowing grass to grow in orchards cannot in the nature ef the case take 

 the place of iliis pulverization of the surface or mulch, and is only to be thought of on rery sandy 

 soils, when mulch is inaccessible; an I the inventor of a machine tor deeply breaking the earth 

 where trees are to be grown, will become a benefactor. 



It i> in our p iwer to send but few apples of tested varieties valued at the South — three of them 

 Sparks, Terrall and Baccolinus, being in bad condition from bruises, and remaining long in a warm 

 room. Nickajack and Burner Green, though not of usual size, are in perfect condition. Davage 

 is a Pulaski County seedling, which, from its proving a beeper in the latitude of Cairo, and hav- 

 ing all the other requirements of a good apple, in an eminent degree, may be regarded as our best. 

 Cralna'a Spicy Winter is also a Pulaski County seedling, of great value for keeping into late 

 spring, its only drawback being want of size. Large Striped Pearmain can hardly be excelled 

 for mid-winter, and our list of good apples is already extended enough to furnish variety to the 

 most epicurian taste. 



Dr. B. F. Long, of Alton, presented the following paper on 



BARREN APPLE TREES. 



Many complaints are heard and enquiries made concerning fruitless apple trees, and what shall 

 be done to cause them to bear fruit My object in this brief paper is, to turn the attention of fruit 

 growers to the probable cause, in most cases, and suggest remedies for the relief of those who have 

 been disappointed in their o Sorts to raise this, the most desirable of fruits. 



The complaint is often heard, in language something like the following, " My trees are very 

 healthy and grow rapidly, standing on good rich soil, have been well cultivated and manured, and 

 no pains spared to bring them forward as fast as possible, but they do not bear." 



Now this kin J of cultivation is a good deal like the affactionate mother's effort to make a lady of 

 her daughter by dressing her in splendid silks, when as yet she has not learned to read or write. 



Barren apple trees are made so, in most cases, by the too rapid ami extensive growth of the trees; 

 the soil is of such a nature as to stimulate the growth of wood, which is not favorable to the setting 

 of fruit. I could cite many instances of trees becoming fruitless alter several years of abundant 

 bearing. I will give but one as a sample of the many. 



A tree standing in an orchard, with the same culture of the balance of the orchard, on moderately 

 rich soil, bore well for eight 6r ten years. A cooper's shop was built and occupied along side of the 

 tree under consideration. The shavings from the shop were partially thrown under the tree, and 

 for a few years served admirably as mulching ; but as the shavings decayed, the tree took on a more 

 rapid growth, and in a short time became almost fruitless, and so continued for several years. The 

 fruit having been very fine, the owner was advised to, and did take from two of the most thrifty 

 limbs a ring of bark of about two inches in length. These limbs bore well for two years, and then 

 died, the space never having healed over. At length, the cause of the growth having been removed, 

 and the decaying vegetable matter being, in a great degree exhausted, the tree became productive 

 and a constant bearer as before. This fact indicates the practice anu error that many people com- 

 mit, insetting their trees on too fertile land, or giving them too much vegetable food. To remedy 

 the evil, the tree must be checked in its growth, in such a way as not to affect its health. 



This may be partially obtained in the first seasou of trial by root pruning in early spring. Complete 

 success must not be expected the first year, because we have to depend on blossom buds already 

 formed, most of which have no germ of the apple, but are barren. Boring the tree produces similar 

 effects and results. 



Deep plowing has been my method of root pruning, but barrenness might not have resulted, as my 

 land is rather of Inferior quality ; sufficiently rich, however, to afford a rich reward for all of my 

 labor. It has been suggested by some, that a coulter should be fixed to a beam, and with sufficient 

 team cut the earth twelve to twenty inches deep, four to six feet from the tree on all sides ; this 

 would doubtless do very well, facilitating and making easy the task of root pruning. By the boring 

 method, a tree ten to twelve iuches in diameter may have an bach and a Quarter augur hole through 

 it. a foot from the ground, and another afoot above this, ami at right angles with it; these holes 

 should be plugged at each end with soft wood plugs, or cork driven in so that the outer end will bo 



