Ill 



wonderfully elevated ; and we find that Mr. Williams is succeeding on a loamy soil of 

 immense depth; but it is sufiiciently dry to produce a good healthy growth, and it 

 retains a sufficient amount of moisture to maintain the growth during the season. Just 

 below this, in the heavy land, he lost his Greenings. I fancy that, if we give more atten- 

 tion to the site when we are selecting an orchard, we can let the choice of varieties be a 

 secondary matter. 



Mr. Young. — I remember the trip we had, which you have spoken of ; and I think 

 both of us learned something. It is a fact, that we found trees flourishing on sand, and 

 also a fact that we fonnd trees flourishing, and paying their owners very well, on very 

 heavy soil. So that nothing was proved after all but that apple trees are not very par- 

 ticular about what soil they grow in. Perhaps it may be, that there are really but two 

 or thi'ee questions for us to decide. First of all, I think, we must have a dry soil ; one 

 which is naturally so, is preferable to a soil which is artificially drained. The soil should 

 be hard enough to retain the moisture necessary for the nourishment of the trees, and 

 yet not so hard as to hold too much water. If the bottom is so hard as not to allow the 

 water to go through, I think the trees will die away gradually. I have trees growing on 

 a quite loamy land, and some growing also on a land which is quite stiff", and they 'are all 

 doing well ; but the land is well drained. It is not artificially drained ; it is a porous 

 soil. If people have not soil which is right, they can make it right ; but it will cost 

 them something to do so. If we have soil in these united countries that is suitable for 

 apple culture, apple culture will be profitable ; but if we make a selection of the proper 

 soil and the varieties of apples are not suitable, we shall make a failure. I firmly believe 

 I have over-cultured my own trees. I never grow grain among my trees. I have about 

 ten acres of an orchard ; and I cultivate about a third of it — what we call summer- 

 fallowing. I run a gang-plough through that frequently — sometimes every week, if it 

 is a growing time ; but I do not cultivate much below the surface. I know of an orchard 

 which is suffering for want of cultivation ; and not only one, but scores of them. I 

 believe people make greater mistakes in that way than in over-cultivating. Both the soil 

 and the climate are very well adapted for the cultivation of the apple in these counties. 



Mr. Graham. — You mentioned, Mr. President, that my apple orchard was in an 

 elevated position. I have apples, too down in the valley. I have a Golden Russet that 

 stands in drifting sand ; and I picked four barrels of Golden Eussets, as nice fruit as I 

 ever saw, off" it last fall, 



Mr. Sing. — How long is it well to allow apple orchards to remain in grass 1 



Mr. Young. — If you allow an apple orchard to remain too long in grass, the tree 

 will produce very few apples. If you leave the trees in timothy, for instance, for a 

 number of years, I believe you will eventually ruin your orchard. 



Mr. Carr. — Will mulching do instead of cultivation ? 



Mr. Young. — Yes ; it will to a great extent. 



Mr. Mallory. — I have always been very sanguine that orchard culture was very 

 profitable, from what 1 have seen of apples. My own experience has not been very 

 profitable. The trees that have been the most profitable to me are those that are stand- 

 ing in low ground. I have had finer Snow apples and more of them in a low, wet piece 

 of heavy clay, where, in the spring, the water stands up on the trees until the frost comes 

 out several inches, although in planting them, I planted them right on the surface and 

 made a pretty good rise to have them up rather high, than I have had anywhere else. 

 My Talman Sweets, on a loamy soil, where it was dry and sunny, were a failure. 



Mr. Burrard. — The orchard pays just in proportion to the amount of care and 

 labour bestowed on it. I was noticing yesterday, in riding through Prince Edward, that 

 many of the orchards that have been let go to grass are done. We have an orchard of 

 about ten acres, and in it nearly all the diff"erent varieties of soil are found, the sandy 

 loam, the heavy clay, the black muck, and the gravelly ; and there are varieties of trees 

 that would do well on all of these different kinds. The great obstacle in the way of 

 raising all fruit is the want of sufficient care in its cultivation. Cattle are let run in 

 orchards, browsing trees ; and the trees are sure to freeze during the winter. Last year 

 we had abundance of all kinds of fruit, even peaches. 



Mr. Beadle. — Where is your locality 1 



