HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 359 



this. When you cultivate the potatoes you are also cultivating 

 the orchard. This is practical, for it has been tried and good 

 results followed. 



When the orchard is ten years old, it may be seeded down, 

 but every three or four years after it should be broken and re- 

 seeded with a different species of grass. The ground should be 

 well plowed, spring and fall, till the trees are at least ten or 

 twelve years old, to get the best results. Besides keeping the 

 soil in good condition this destroys countless numbers of harmful 

 insect. A coating of straw about a foot thick on the ground is 

 said to be an excellent mulch for an orchard and it keeps the soil 

 T"ery moist. 



PRUNING. 



The trees should be headed rather low in this state to give 

 them stability. Have the lowest limbs so the horses can walk 

 along pretty close to the trees when i)lowing. Prune the trees 

 well in June or in the fall and always keep them trimmed; it 

 adds much to the looks of the tree, the apples are easier to pick, the 

 limbs do not gall each other and the fruit will be much more highly 

 colored and withal it makes the tree itself much more thrifty. 

 All webs found in the branches should be removed at once and 

 burned, and no offenders allowed to escape. In winter the trees 

 can be protected from rabbits by placing a piece of tarred j)aper 

 about eighteen inches high loosely about the trunk. In about 

 the finest orchard T have ever visited, the trunks of the trees are 

 bound with laths. This prevents any injury from the sun's heat, 

 or any gnawing by animals. These laths are fastened together 

 and are easily removed twice a year, when the trunks are given 

 a sulphur wash to remove any insects and prevent any from com- 

 ing up the trunk from the ground. Of course the injurious in- 

 sects produced by flying species can not be thus dispatched. The 

 arsenic emulsion given in Mr. Riley's report last year is perhaps 

 the best sx)ray for the tops of orchard trees. 



IN CONCLUSION. 



In the fruit garden I referred to above, the ground is plowed 

 spring and fall, webs removed as soon as discovered, and in short 

 no pains spared to keep the trees thrifty and sound. The result 

 is a success and the gentleman has not only good crops of apples, 

 but they are beautiful and free from worms, which is saying 



