THE 



APPLE CULTURIST. 



CHAPTER I. 



PROPAGATING APPLE-TREES. 



"Here embryo apples in tough rinds compressed, 

 Are folded in beauty, on each floret's breast. 

 The sunshine of April and breath of sweet May, 

 Shall lift up the plumule and spread out the spray." 



THE apple is propagated by planting the seeds, by graft- 

 ing, and by inoculating, or budding ; and it may be propa- 

 gated by cuttings and layers. The core of an apple is fre- 

 quently thrown aside, where a seed sometimes finds a mel- 

 low seed-bed ; and the next season a young tree appears. 

 Birds frequently drop apple-seeds in a bed of fine mould, 

 where the embryo is preserved, until circumstances favor 

 germination. Young apple-trees frequently spring from 

 the seed in the remains of decayed apples. 



Apple and pear seeds are usually collected in autumn, 

 separated from the pomace, mingled with moist sand, and 

 kept in a cellar till the following spring, when they are 

 planted in drills as one plants beet-seeds, in a well-prepared 

 seed-bed. In some instances, the pomace i scattered in 

 drills, and covered with fine and mellow soil, in late au- 

 tumn. When large quantities of young trees are required, 

 the seeds are sometimes sown broadcast like grain, and har- 

 rowed in; and in many instances the seeds are put in with 



