STATS POMOLOGICAI, SOCIETY, 75 



It is well known that the King tree as usually grown is sub- 

 ject to canker and is short-lived. Very few King orchards are 

 planted for the reason that the tree fails early, and the blocks 

 of this variety are badly broken, before they reach a profitable 

 bearing age. 



Twenty-one years ago, we planted a block of Northern Spy 

 trees, for the foundation of a King orchard. We chose the Spy 

 tree, because of its great vigor and hardiness. We then looked 

 for the best specimens of the King trees that could be found, 

 that had, at thirty years of age, vigor and freedom from disease, 

 with large production of fruit of uniform good quality. The 

 two-year-old Spy trees were grafted with the scions of these 

 superior King trees, and up to the present time, there has been 

 no appearance of canker, while the trees have borne regular 

 crops of the finest fruit. 



In top-working there is one important point to be considered, 

 that of the right union between the stocks. 



There is a difference in different varieties in regard to a con- 

 genial uniting of the stocks, and this is important to ascertain 

 and to be understood. If there is not a strong and perfect 

 union between the bud or scion and the stock, bacteria will get 

 in their work and there will be a diseased tree in a few years. 



The Tolman Sweet is also a stock upon which other varieties 

 will unite well. More work and study are needed along this 

 line to ascertain the kinds of stocks and varieties that will 

 assimilate and make the best union in top-working, and in 

 propagation in the nursery. 



TILI.AGE O^ ORCHARDS. 



In the East, the value of tillage to produce more and better 

 apples is not fully understood. A great majority of orchards 

 are in sod and the crop of apples is an irregular product. The 

 growers of the Northwest are intensive cultivators and as the 

 result of their better work and more attractive fruit they are 

 steadily commanding the best trade of the world. 



The secret of their success is small orchards. Many do not 

 exceed five and ten acres, and to these frequent tillage is given, 

 when large yields of high quality fruit are obtained. 



There are many New England hillside orchards, too steep 

 and rocky to admit of cultivation, or even spraying with ma- 

 chinery, and while they are more or less productive, and the 



