TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING. 201 



paradise stock eight and one-quarter feet apart each way, six 

 hundred and forty to the acre. Those on doiicin stock are 

 ten feet, four hundred and thirty-five per acre. In this 

 last lot we have fifty trees of Mcintosh and Gravenstein to see 

 what they will do commercially. My early experience taur^ht 

 me that no long-armed branches were wanted, but short, stiff, 

 stocky limbs with plenty of chance for fruit spars. This has 

 been the aim in growing the present lot of trees. How well 

 we are succeeding can be judged by those who have seen 

 them. The oldest trees, all on paradise, began bearing on 

 some of the kinds three years ago. The past season about 

 thirty varieties produced fruit, from two specimens to a 

 bushel, several a half bushel or more. As already stated, no 

 attempt was made to induce early bearing, but I think that 

 quality has been over estimated. Judging from the same 

 kinds in our trial orchard, on standard stocks, I should think 

 the average gain may be one or two years. The site of the 

 present planting was chosen because it was good apple land, 

 but particularly because it was protected by timber from 

 heavy north and northwest winds. This was a mistake. 

 They need no protection, being so low and so close together. 

 On the other hand, it will be much more difficult to produce 

 perfect fruit, owing to the woods being a hiding place for 

 curculio and other insects. This trouble has already demon- 

 strated itself. I should select an open field for another 

 planting. Our cultivation so far has been clean for four or 

 five years, then let the land grass down and mow it over four 

 or five times during the season. Have so far, used very 

 little fertilizer, as the trees have grown fast enough. But 

 shall, from this on. use potash and bone or basic slag on the 

 trees, as they come in bearing. So far, the trees have been 

 as healthy as the same number of standard trees, and the 

 losses from any cause no greater than would have occurred 

 in the same number in an orchard. There is no doubt that 

 some varieties are better adapted to this method of growth 

 than others. I would not use the strong growers like Fallawater 

 or Hurlbut. unless more room was given. But Mcintosh, 



