Miscellaneous. 371 



of the earth, thrown out in digging the holes, should be used in planting 

 the trees ; good, mellow surface soil should be used instead. When 

 trees are thus firmly set, invert the sod below the tree, and place thereon 

 the earth thrown out in digging the holes. Now take out a sloping sec- 

 tion of sod all around the margin where the hole was dug and invert 

 about the tree, so as to form a sort of basin above each tree. This mav 

 be then filled with good stable manure, but it should not touch the tree. 

 In this way a hillside orchard may be grown very successfully without 

 any cultivation whatever, providing, of course, that soil and location 

 are favorable. For an established hillside orchard that needs feeding,, 

 nothing is better than a good dressing of stable manure, hauled direct 

 from the stable. The prevention of washing is another point in favor 

 of manure for hillside orchards. 



Btid Selection — The subject of whether or not it pays to propagate 

 from favorite trees, plants, etc., is still going the rounds of the press, and 

 while most writers are in favor of the idea, we occasionally hear from a 

 successful grower who thinks there is little or nothing in it. As for 

 myself, I feel well repaid for the trouble I have gone to in such selecting 

 in the past, and shall keep it up. Just think of the wonderful results 

 obtained through the careful selection of corn for seed. And none the 

 less marked have been our results in selecting the best hills of sweet 

 potatoes each year for seed. If it pays so well with grain and vegetables, 

 why should it not with fruits? If not already done, now is a good time 

 to cut scions and cuttings, which should be packed away in moist sphag- 

 num moss or damp sawdust, and stored in a cool cellar. 



Seeding the Orchard — If your stand of erass or clover in the orchard 

 i? not good, and you wish it so, give the orchard a good harrowing just 

 as early as soil is dry enough to crumble nicely. Sow seed as wanted,, 

 and harrow again the other way. The harrowing will not injure the 

 grass already established, but, on the other hand, will do it good. If 

 peaches pull through, I will want my orchard in clover. I shall cut the 

 first crop for hay and allow the second growth to remain on the ground. 

 I don't like to cultivate during a season when trees are bearing, for the 

 reason that fruit is more liable to rot, and all fruit that falls to the ground 

 is soiled, and unfit for market. I would prefer clover because it is more 

 beneficial to the soil than timothy and other grasses ; it matures early and 

 the stubbles are not so apt to puncture the fruit that falls, much of which 

 can often be disposed of in the local markets when not soiled or badly 

 punctured. I have seen cases where enough was made from the fallen 

 fruit in a peach orchard to pay the expenses of growing and handling 

 the crop, which made the returns for picked fruit all profit. It is to be 



