98 Cyltivation of the Purple Egg Plant. 



planting, which caused the soil to be broken up fine, without disturb- 

 ing the sods. 



The trees were selected from the various nurseries around Boston,. 

 Salem, New York, Albany and Philadelphia, amounting to one hun- 

 dred and ei2;ht varieties of apples, and forty-two of pears, — in all two 

 hundred and twenty trees. The trees were all forwarded to me 

 in the fall of 1830, and placed in a trench dug sufficiently deep ta 

 cover the roots, and secure them from the frosts and cold of winter, 

 to be ready for planting out in the ensuing spring. Each variety 

 had been noted and labelled while in the trench, in such a manner^ 

 as to guard against the loss of their names. Previous to setting out 

 the trees in the spring of 1831, in their intended places, the land had 

 been well manured, and harrowed in. Placing the plan on a board 

 with the reference book, the respective place of each tree with their 

 proper distances was easily found with the aid of a surveyor's chain ; 

 from one to two inches only of the soil was taken from the sod, and 

 the trees carefully planted, — previously to which, however, they 

 were properly and judiciously pruned, and the roots trimmed of all 

 broken or bruised fragments, if in some instances it could be said 

 they had roots. In this manner the whole number were placed out^ 

 and covered with a little free rich mould, not over two inches, pud- 

 dled with river water and gently trod. This was done in the last week 

 in April, and serious doubts were apprehended whether they would in 

 this manner stand alone. The land was planted between the trees 

 with corn and potatoes, without further ploughing, and an excellent 

 crop was obtained ; but two trees died, and only four more required 

 additional soil on their roots ; and so far, I have never had trees do 

 better, during twenty years' experience, in the management of an or- 

 chard of twenty acres. I have no doubt, had the land been deeply 

 trenched to the depth of one or two feet, and from six to twelve feet 

 in diameter, where each tree was set, they would have done much 

 better ; but this is too forbidding to most persons. 



I have only aimed in this communication to give you what I 

 consider practicable. In all cases I would impress upon the garden- 

 er, orchardist, or farmer, to avoid deep planting, as it is not necessa- 

 ry to preserve trees from high winds, and is absolutely deleterious to 

 their future progress and health. Yours, B. V. F. 



Boston, Feb. lOth, 1835. 



Art. V. On the Cultivation of the Purple Variety of Egg Plant 

 (Soldnum ovigerum.) By the Conductors. 



The White Egg Plant is an annual, a native of Africa. It was 

 introduced into England in the year 1597, and has ever since been 



