352 ANiSrUAL REPORT. 



dition, but it soon perishes when exposed to dry air. The Tetofski 

 with me is one of the hardiest, but this goes to show that all trees 

 are not alike adapted to the same kind of soil and treatment, as but 

 few can raise them in this vicinity with success. Early Strawberry 

 perfectly hardy, and a good bearer. Headers Red Winter, if true 

 to name, small, red, scabby looking fruit, tree hardy, but fruit no 

 keeper; fit for nothing but cider or vinegar; used immediately from 

 the tree in order to save it. Price's sweet, tender in tree, but fruit 

 excellent; Beecher Sweet, vice versa* 



I do not consider it necessary to go much further into details of 

 the kinds of fruit in my orchard, as many of them are experimen- 

 tal as yet. I have no russets that are hardy, except one seedling; 

 do not know how this winter may use it. I have several other 

 very promising seedling apples yet on the trial list. 



The prospect for a crop of fruit this year is good. 



Now a word in regard to mulching fruit trees. In my opinion 

 the time to mulch is when the ground is frozen enough so as to 

 not easily thaw out, then the mulching wi'l hold the trees in check 

 in the spring, and save the crop from late frosts. Two years ago 

 I am sure I saved two hundred bushels of apples by having my 

 trees mulched, the blossoms being backward. One of my neighbors 

 burned straw all night in his orchard, but did not save his fruit. 



My trees were loaded with apples; his nearly bare; yet our trees 

 were bought of Dr. Jewell at the same time; planted at the same 

 time, on the same slope, the orchards being not more than forty 

 rods apart. He was fully convinced that my mulching saved my 

 fruit. I do not pile up near the trunks of the trees as many do» 

 but spread the manure around three or four inches deep and four 

 or five feet away from the trees. I keep it solid, as well as the 

 snow, by tramping, so as to leave no soft places to harbor the mice. 

 Have never lost a tree from the mice. In plowing in the fall, the 

 earth is thrown up to the trees, so that they all stand on ridges. 

 This prevents the accumulation of water around the trees, which I 

 think in many cases is the cause of the bark cracking at the 

 ground, and killing the trees. In such cases the injury comes from 

 the water running in and freezing in the vacant space left around 

 the tree just below the surface of the ground, caused by the 

 swaying of the tree to and fro in the wind while the tree is young 

 and not strongly rooted, the freezing of the water swells it and 

 bulges the bark loose, which is sure death to the trees. Some 

 people fail to see the cause of injury here, because there is life 



*Probably not true to name, for Beecher Sweet is both hardy and good.— Secretary . 



