TALK IN THE APPLE ORCHARD. 



A LITTLE TALK IN THE APPLE ORCHARD. 



BY HENRY F. FRENCH, EXETER, N. H. 



[The following pithy, spirited, and practical article — one of the best ever sent us, will 

 commend itself to every reader. Ed.] 



The inquiry is frequently made, " At what season is it best to prune apple trees?" 

 Now if we take down Cobbett's edition of " Forsyth on Fruit Trees," we read at page 48 

 as follows — " The best time to prune apple trees, is in the month of J/pril or May." If, 

 then, we open Kenrick's " New American Orchardist," at page 107 we read thus — "The 

 most suituable season for pruning (apple trees,) is that interval between the time when the 

 Jrost is oat of the ground in spring, and the opening oj the leaf." Cole, in his " Fruit 

 Book," at page 57, says — " Moderate pruning should be done in Jane, July, or j^agust, 

 though it will answer very well till December. If trees are pruned in July, August, or 

 September, the wood will become hard, sound and well seasoned — we should prefer Oc- 

 tober, November, or even December, to the spring, tvhich is the worst ssasoii." The au- 

 thor of " the Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," at page 31, (11th edition,) sums up 

 the matter thus — " There are advantages and disadvantages attending all seasons of prun- 

 ing, but our own experience has led us to believe, that practically, a fortnight bfore mid- 

 summer is by far the best season on the whole, for pruning in the northern and middle 

 states." 



I have heard by tradition, the advice of a clergyman of a former generation, famous alike 

 for worldly and spiritual knowledge, to a hearer, who asked him at what time he would 

 advise to prune apple trees — " When your tools are sharp," was the reply — a reply, by 

 the way, which seems to embody the wisdom of all modern writers on the subject. 



All the writers of books, and most of the growers of fruit, have some decided opinion 

 on this point, on which they are ready to peril " life and limb," both of their trees and 

 themselves, if necessary', and although most of the late authors teach otherwise, the ge- 

 neral practice in this section of the country, is still to prune apple trees in ^larch and 

 April, before the bursting of the buds. And it will require strong and obvious reasons to 

 change the custom among our farmers. 



Pruning an old orchard, which has been neglected for ten or a dozen years, and espe- 

 cially one that has been recently grafted upon full grown trees, is a pretty serious matter, 

 requiring time and a strong arm, as well as skill. They who tell us that trees properly 

 trained, require very little pruning, and that it may all be done the first week in June, no 

 doubt speak truly, but not very satisfactorily to us, of the northern latitudes. 



We have snow and a frozen soil, in New-Hampshire, until April. During that month, 

 much of our land is unfit for the plow, and " planting time," for our corn and potatoes, 

 our principal hoed crops — is from the 10th of May till the 10th of June. From the end 

 of planting, all hands are hoeing until " haying time," which commences with July, and 

 continues through that month and part of the next, so that there is no leisure for us except 

 in earlj" spring, or in autumn. 



It is at this season, while waiting for the coming on of the " spring's work," when 

 the blue bird and robin are heard welcoming the first bright, still days of the season, that 

 you may see the former with his boys, both great and small, perched upon the old trees of 

 the orchard, pruning and grafting. Many a boy of twelve or fourteen have I seen engaged in 

 this employment, and not unfrequently, a lad of eighteen or twenty, makes it his business 



