No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 197 



(because he happens to have a surplus of that variety), palmed off 

 on you. 



As to Varieties. — Make a canvass of your neighborhood, see what 

 varieties are regular bearers, of good sized showy apples, of good 

 quality. Make inquiries of some one who is well versed, on fruit 

 suitable to your locality. No matter how good an apple you get, 

 if it be a poor bearer, leave it alone; on the other hand, no matter 

 how good a bearer a variety is, if it lacks quality and beauty, do 

 not plant it. The time has come when i>eople's tastes are becoming 

 cultivated, and such apples as Ben Davis, etc., are not wanted. 



In selecting varieties, if for family use, have a succession, from 

 early, until late. You can have apples the year round. 



If for commercial purposes, do not plant too many varieties. 

 Plant a limited number of select fall varieties, as there is a time 

 when choice fruit is scarce, and brings high prices. These can be 

 isupplied by planting Jeffries, Gravenstein, Summer Rambo, Wealthy, 

 and Smokehouse, all choice fruit of highest quality, trees hardy 

 and heavy producers. These are followed by Hubbardston, None- 

 such, Jonathan, Grimes' Golden, Kinnard's Choice. 



For winter, plant heavy of Stayman's Winesap (of this variety you 

 cannot plant too many), York Imperial, Rome Beauty, Salome, Not- 

 tingham Brown, Nero, Mammoth Black Twig. If you are plant- 

 ing north of 41 degrees, you can add Baldwin, Greening, King and 

 Northern Spy. There are many other excellent varieties in every 

 locality, but from those given the planter can make a selection, that 

 for productiveness, quality and profit, cannot be excelled. 



Whe?i Shall We Plant ? — We can generally get the best stock in 

 the fall of the year, more likely get varieties we want; we also 

 have more time at this season, and the work is apt to be done bet- 

 ter. For the hardier fruits, such as apple, pear, cherry, etc., also 

 currants and gooseberries, I believe this is the best season, giving 

 the roots, where cut, time to callous, and often start new roots weeks 

 before the leaves appear, and are thus better able to overcome the 

 severe shock of transplanting. When planted late in the spring, 

 the buds expand and leaA^es form and often pump out the stored 

 up vitality, faster than the mutilated roots can furnish moisture 

 and food; then should a dry season set in, as it so often does, the 

 tree suffers very severely and frequently dies. 



How Shall We Prune! — First, the roots that are bruised and mu- 

 tilated should be cut back, leaving stubs from 3 to 6 inches. Any- 

 thing beyond 6 inches is superfluous. The Stringfellow method of 

 pruning, if you are north of latitude 38 degrees, leave it alone; entic- 

 ing as it may appear, failure is almost inevitable. 



Cut all tops back proportionately, if one year old apple and pear. 

 Cut back to two feet stubs. If two year old, with tops already 

 formed, cut limbs back to mere stubs, cutting off immediately above 

 an outside bud, so as to give it an open spreading head. On visiting 

 my orchards, both apple and peach, the visitors' attention is first 

 attracted to the spreading open heads, and they wonder how I get 

 them so. Care in pruning is the whole secret. A good sharp knife 

 is a wonderful instrument in the hands of an intelligent, practical 

 horticulturist. As you can prune for wood growth, prune for fruit, 

 early bearing and many other things. 



