CHAPTER XVIII. 



APPLES. 



" THE APPLE," says Downing, " is the world-renowned fruit 

 of temperate climates." Although less delicious than the 

 peach or pear, it possesses, from its great hardiness, easy 

 cultivation, productiveness, its long continuance through the 

 whole twelve months, and its various uses, an importance not 

 equalled by any other fruit. 



Nursery Management. The mode of raising the seedlings 

 or stocks, and of Budding and Grafting has been already de- 

 scribed in Chapter III. of the first part of this work. The seed- 

 lings are treated in three different ways. They may be set 

 out into nursery rows in the spring, when a year old, to be 

 budded the second summer; they may be taken up and root- 

 grafted as soon as large enough ; or they may be plantetl into 

 rows and grafted at any subsequent period. 



The following figures exhibit the difference between good 

 and bad planting-out. Fig. 343 represents a graft well set 

 out, the earth packed closely around the root, which is sending 

 out new fibres, and the leaves expanding above. In Fig. 344 

 the work has been carelessly done, the earth being closed 

 around the top, but left with a cavity below. Grafts set in 

 this way rarely grow. 



Fig. 345 represents the usual form of the dibble, and Fig. 

 346 the appearance of the root-graft when ready to be set out. 



The most favorable soils are rich, well-pulverized, and 

 rather strong loams. If light or gravelly, there is more dan- 

 ger from midsummer droughts, which often prove quite de- 

 structive. Grafting the whole root entire will much lessen 

 the difficulty. 



The chief care afterward is to keep the ground constantly 

 cultivated, and perfectly clean, which will increase the growth 

 during summer, and exclude mice in winter; the trees are to 

 be trained up to one leading-stem, not trimming so closely as 

 to make them slender ; they are to be kept straight, by tying 

 287 



