STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 277 



40 feet, according to the variety — makes a small mound on which he plants the tree 60 

 that it will stand about as it did in the nursery. Would prune in the latter part of 

 summer, to hasten fruit bearing. Thinks our soil needs ashes and lime rather than 

 vegetable manure. Had seen clay from cellars used with good success. 



Brunton — Had a pet theory of pruning mostly with the thumb and finger. Begin- 

 ning in season, and continuing through the season a perfect head could be formed with 

 less injury to the tree, than to hack with knife and saw. Proper preparation of the 

 ground was more important than deep or shallow planting ; would never dig a hole for 

 a tree with a spade unless he spaded the entire field. Alluded to a peach orchard that 

 he planted a few years ago. Had subsoiled 18 inches and set the trees the same as in 

 the nursery. A heavy rain followed immediately, which caused the trees to settle six 

 inches. Filled up around the trees, and has since plowed to them. They have made a 

 very satisfactory growth. 



May — Inquired whether it would be good policy to apply stable manure to peacq 

 and apple orcbards. 



Goodale — Thought peach trees needed no fertilizers, as the trees would make wood 

 quite fast enough without. With apple trees it might answer better. Perhaps refuse 

 lime from the gas works might be applied to good advantage. 



Hooton's — Observations and experience were in favor of planting trees not less than 

 thirty feet apart and about the same depth as in the nursery. Feeble trees were more 

 liable to sustain injury from insects. Spoke of the beneficial results of applying well 

 rotted manure to an orchard after plowing. Chooses lime and soda for strawberries ; 

 ashes mixed with barnyard mauure, for peaches and apples. Lime from the gas works 

 must be used with great caution — composted with hard i>an, would be valuable. 

 Don't be afraid of making your trees too big ; large, healthy, vigorous trees will yield 

 a larger quantity of fruit. 



As to fertilizing and the different articles used for that purpose, the apple tree is 

 not very choice. But will feed freely on almost every one of them, if it can reach 

 them under favorable circumstances. All manures should be applied on ground 

 recently stirred by the plow, and the manure should be thoroughly rotten. 



In regard to the fertility of our soil, would say that that the greatest fertilizer we 

 have, and the one most capable of universal application, is the plow. This implement 

 judiciously used, will bring out of our now barren hard pan, untold riches. When the 

 earth dropped new from the Creator's hand, that stratum we now call " the soil," was 

 precisely the same in all its aspects, as the hard pan which now lies beneath it. In this 

 hard pan there now exists in a fixed form, all of the elements of fertility which the 

 natural soil now possesses. The surface of the earth Is nature's laboratory. In this 

 vast workshop, she has many forces constantly at work. Heat, light, air, water and 

 frost have been constantly at work for ages to liberate from their fixed forms the 

 elements of fertility which exist everywhere in our soil, so that they might be used in 

 the growth and development of vegetables, fruits and flowers, for the use of man and 

 beast. 



The following is the List of Apples as revised and amended, recommended for cul- 

 ture by this Association, Nov. 21, 1H68, which comprises only such varieties as have been 

 tried, and are known to succeed well iu this vicinity : 



