86 STATK rOMOLO(;iCAL SOCIKTY. 



Mr. Atiikuton. When tliey were put in in hulk I was awav and 

 had nothinjj: to do with putting: them up, and consecinently eonld not 

 reguhito tlie temperature, which may have caused the difference in 

 the wav Ihev came out. 



Mr. liuiGGS. Tliere is one point in Mr. Atherton's paper which I 

 should like to have explained a little better, and that is in relation to 

 the cultivation of the orchard. 



Mr. Atiierton. For the first few years I give it the best of cul- 

 tivation, provided the young trees were uninjured by the means. 

 Take the best land and prepare it well before setting out the trees. 



Mr. Briggs. Did you crop the orchard? 



Mr. Atherton. Yes, we cropped for several years. Had rota- 

 tion of crops for about ten years. 



Mr. Briggs. What do you call rotation of crops? 



Mr. Atherton. By rotation of crops I mean plant corn one year, 

 and beans the next, then potatoes and so on. 



Mr. Briggs. Did you ever sow grain in the orchard? 



Mr. Atherton. Not unless I intended seeding down to grass. 



Mr. 1>RIGGS. Would you then? 



Mr. Atherton. Yes, sir, and put on lots of manure and extra 

 mulching. After you seed down apply top-dressing and mulch the 

 young trees. If you fear any damage from mice, in the fall remove 

 the mulch and bank up with earth, removing it again in the spring 

 and putting around the mulch again. The last orchard I started was 

 under cultivation three years. It has onh' been set eight years, and 

 still has produced considerable fruit of the Nodhead, Swaar, Red 

 Astrachan and other vaiieties. 



Mr. Whittier. I would like to hear from Mr. Gilbert. 



Ml. Z. A. Gilbert. I would like to add m^^ testimony to Mr. 

 Merrill's in relation to the storing of apples in bulk. I have handled 

 one hundred and fifty barrels stored in bulk direct from the tre3s. I 

 disagree with Mr. Atherton for two reasons. First, because it saves 

 labor in handling and the damage to the fruit in handling it ; and, 

 second, I would store them directly' in the cellar because it is best for 

 the fruit. Apples should be placed in as cool a place as possible 

 immediately after being taken from the tree, and hence the cellar is 

 the best place for them. I sort veiy carefull3' in the orchard, always 

 superintending the work myself, and always insisting that small and 

 imperfect fruit shall be thrown away. The apples are picked in bas- 

 kets and drawn to the cellar in bulk, and stored in bulk. In this 



