200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



winter-kill. I have had them freeze to death in the nursery 

 without being moved at all. They froze in the ground where 

 they grew, so as to be as black as your boot, in the spring. I 

 attributed this, in some instances, to getting the soil a little too 

 rich, which kept them growing late in autumn. Being in pretty 

 heavy soil, and wet also, the fall rains set them growing vigor- 

 ously, and they froze up in that state, while the sap was still 

 flowing. This brings me to a point where I would like to make 

 a remark in relation to something that was said by Dr. Loring, 

 the President of the New England Agricultural Society, at Con- 

 cord, N. H. He took the ground that the raising of fruit had 

 become an effort of science ; that it could not be profitable any 

 longer from the fact that the trees had become sickly through 

 the country, and wei^ failing all round ; but he said that persons 

 who were determined to have apples or any other fruit should 

 put them out and drive them, and get all they could at once. 

 That might be safe for some varieties, but I do not believe it 

 will ever do here in New England — northern New England, at 

 least. I think that to set out an orchard of Baldwin trees, and 

 drive them very fast, would be to risk injuring them seriously ; 

 that they would be likely to be brought into the condition in 

 which I have found mine — frozen to death. I remember that 

 my father planted an orchard of Baldwins, and when they had 

 got to be of considerable size, there came a pretty deep snow, 

 before the ground froze up, and then there came a warm spell, 

 and started the sap, and they all froze to death that winter. The 

 trunks of those trees were three or four inches through, and 

 every one died. ' I have known other similar instances. It is 

 my opinion that the Baldwin and the Ladies' Sweeting should 

 not be driven here ; that they will not be able to endure our 

 New England winters so well as when growing more moderately. 

 When they make their wood early in the season, and ripen it so 

 that the terminal bud is sealed up and all right before the cold 

 weather comes on, then I do not apprehend the least danger of 

 any apple-tree freezing to death. 



I have alluded to the Ladies' Sweeting. I regard that as a 

 most excellent sweet apple for winter use. It holds its fresh- 

 ness and good qualities late in the spring. It is a beautiful 

 apple in appearance. It is astonishing how late they will grow, 

 if you will only let them hang upon the tree. At the time we 



