NEW VARIETY OF WINTER APPLES. 36 



the conditions described? and is it not possible that it may 

 be of much more value than has been supposed ? 



We have been informed that the crop of apples the pres- 

 ent year is small on those trees that produce those nameless 

 apples ; but we hope and expect to hear more about them 

 hereafter. 



We think the soil on which apples grow has much to do 

 with the quality of the fruit. A person who has a smtill 

 orchard which is kept in grass, etc., rich by top-dressing, said 

 to us the other day, Our apples are not nearly as good as 

 those that grow on a certain orchard, that he named. This 

 agrees with the opinion of the writer, that high cultivation 

 is not beneficial to the keeping qualities of the fruit. The 

 fruit will be larger, but not better. Trees that spring up in 

 pastures — if the land is well adapted to fruit, and the trees 

 grafted — will produce fruit of better quality, and that will 

 keep better, than that produced on highly cultivated land. 



Mr. Currier also speaks of the importance of a cool cellar, 

 which we approve of. The temperature should be as low as 

 possible without freezing ; and to this end the cellar should 

 be made cooler as fast as possible after the apples are put in. 

 We practise as follows : Our cellar is well ventilated with 

 wmdows and bulkhead doors. We have two bulkhead doors, 

 one of which is wired like the windows. Two thermometers, 

 — one outside, and one inside. When the weather is cooler 

 outside, we open the door and windows ; when warmer out- 

 side, we shut them : so on from day to day as the weather 

 indicates. Tliis will, to some extent at least, prevent the 

 evil spoken of by Mr. Currier, — the apples shrivelling. Oui 

 apples are kept in bins. 



We would suggest the method of cross-grafting, which we 

 commenced last spring. We grafted Baldwin scions into a 

 Runnels apple-tree, also some Runnels scions into a Baldwin 

 tree. Next spring we intend to graft from those scions into 

 the same tree or the same variety, and so on from year to 

 year, which we tliink, before many years, will show the 

 result. We hope others will also try the experiment. 



The Society was congratulated at the dinner-table at Lynn 

 for the improvements made in the cultivation of vegetables, 

 and originating new varieties ; and we hope the time is not 

 far distant when the Society will be again congratulated, on 



