On Orchards. ' 215 



planted, and it was fit for boiling or roasting in six 

 weeks. I am satisfied we can have two crops of this 

 dwarf corn, in one season. I have sent one of the ears 

 to Maryland. This corn will, in a course of time, 

 change its nature, and assimilate with our own. I never 

 had any seed that did not change, with all the care I 

 could take. The fact is so with me, whatever be the 

 cause : be it soil, climate, or mixture of the farina fe^ 

 cundans of other corn. One must be isolated, to try 

 this experiment, far from any grain of the same species. 

 The farina is wafted by winds, to great distances. 



22d February, 1808. 



I have examined my deep planted apple trees, in dif- 

 ferent parts of the young orchard, by digging down as 

 low as the original roots; 2 feet and 2 1-2 feet deep. — 

 I find they have sent forth numerous roots, in all direc- 

 tions ; from those planted with the trees, about 6 or 7 

 years ago, to those in the surface mould ; which are the 

 most vigorous. Nature takes her own course; and 

 thus directs where we should place the roots of trees 

 transplanted. Fibrous roots are frequent on the stocks ; 

 and are larger or smaller, according to the kinds of sub- 

 strata, they have to penetrate. On part of this orchard, 

 I raised my heavy crop of wheat, the last season. In 

 it there are 200 trees of various kinds, all grafted ; a few 

 excepted, but not all planted deep. The surface is very 

 well dressed and tilled, and in high order. I found the 

 old surface in a brown or black stratum (turned down 

 by the trench plough many years ago) affording a fine 

 nourishment to the roots. But the lower roots are ge- 

 nerally mean, in comparison with those shot out in 



