408 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



not be satisfactorily settled until the trees had had time to show by their fnture 

 cro])S that the change had been established. But with such a season as last 

 year, when fruits were so plentiful, and every tree bore with a profuseness that 

 seemed as universal as an epidemic, here were trees that had been checked at 

 an early date by taking off fully one-half of the immature fruits soon after they 

 were formed, and this year their crops of fruit were a fair average. 



PKESERVATION OF APPLES. 



PRESERVING WINTER APPEES. 



Those who grow apples for market and make it an especial branch of busi- 

 ness, do not need to bo told how to keep them till the proper time for market- 

 ing comes ; but those who have but a few trees and grow chiefly for their own 

 use, may be benefited by a hint or two. 



The gathering should be done by hand, as if shaken from the tree and bruised 

 they soon rot. Even when hand-picked they are often badly nsed subsequently, 

 and early decay is a consequence. After gathering they should be sorted over, 

 and any that have been injured by grubs or caterpillars taken away. Wherever 

 the cuticle is in any way injured the apple is liable to rot, and such fruit 

 should be kept away from the sound ones. Those which prove entirely whole 

 may be put in clean barrels, headed to keep out mice, and then put in any dry 

 cellar just secure from frost. It is very important to carefully take out the 

 injured ones, as any decay in a lot will often communicate to the whole body. 

 Where but a few are grown a cool cellar, garret or shed, secure from frost, and 

 the fruit laid on the floor or on shelves, is as good as anything. In this case, 

 where there is continual uoe for household ])urpo?es the imperfect fruit can be 

 taken as they appear. This is the general plan; but it is better where time can 

 be spared to sort them over when put in, or soon after, all at once and done 

 Avith it, than depend on the daily picking out. It is done at once and thus 

 saves time. The women of a household as a rule are much more badly worked 

 than the men, and even a few quarter-hours a day soon runs away with time 

 they can badly spare ; besides this, the continual moving about of the sound 

 a])ples is likely to injure them, and thus the evil from damaged fruit is in- 

 creased. Moreover, it is by no means unlikely that tlie seeds of decaying mat- 

 ter nriy spread to perfectly sound fruit, and thus make them bad also. It will 

 certainly do so in a close ])arrel, and may do so in more open places. 



The success of apple-culture in our State has been very encouraging the past 

 decade. One of our subscribers tells us that he has but one tree in his small 

 lot, and that it is a "red streak," which may, however, mean anything almost; 

 but that from it he has gathered fifteen bushels of apples, which he thinks will 

 keep his family till after New Year's. He says it did not bear so well a few years 

 ago as it lias the last six or seven years, l)ut lie has been induced to keep a 

 sharper lookout for Ijorers, and he puts on manure occasionally under the tree, 



