RAISING FRUIT TREES FROM SEEDS. 29 



are healthy and vigorous, and prove most plainly 

 that it is not necessary for us to import pear stocks 

 from France, when they can be raised, as mine 

 have been, at home." 



Regarding the above successful experiment, 

 we would say, that it is rare in this region for one 

 year's seedling pears to withstand our winters un- 

 protected. It is always most prudent to cover 

 them with sea-weed or litter, or to take them up 

 and store them in a cool and dry cellar, covering 

 the roots with sand or gravel. 



In raising peach trees from the stone, our meth- 

 od has been to expose the stones to the frosts of 

 winter, and sow in the following spring. In the 

 fall of 1841, we thus exposed half a bushel of 

 stones to the frost, by placing them in a shallow 

 hole in the ground, slightly covered with earth, 

 where they remained until the spring ; we then 

 cracked them carefully, and sowed in rows on the 

 13th of April, 1842, in a light loamy soil. These 

 grew well ; and on the first week in September, of 

 the same season, we budded nine hundred out of 

 one thousand trees. 



With young trees, it has been the practice of 

 some to trim off the side shoots, which causes the 

 trees to make a slender and weeping top ; these 

 side shoots should not be taken off, while the trees 

 are young and growing thriftily ; the trunk will 

 not grow near as fast in circumference by divest- 

 ing these of their leaves or side branches. Mr. 

 Downing recommends to stop the side branches, 

 when of moderate length, by pinching out the 

 terminal bud. This is undoubtedly the best 

 method. 



3* 



