104 



he will not put in grafts needlessly, but after all it is better 

 to have too many grafts than not enough, and with a little 

 knowledge and supervision on the part of the owner there is 

 usually little difficulty on this score. If the owner is situated 

 so that he can do so I should strongly advise his furnishing 

 the scions himself, and too great care cannot be exercised in 

 selecting them. They ought to be taken from bearing trees, 

 and if possible from those of known productiveness, and they 

 should be thoroughly well matured and not too long- jointed. 

 Let them be selected while the trees are still dormant, and 

 stored in moist soil or sawdust in the coolest possible place ; 

 if an ice house is available so much the better. 



A great many problems will undoubtedly come up in reno- 

 vating an old orchard besides those which have been dis- 

 cussed, and modifications will have to be made to suit special 

 fruits, such as peaches and plums, but if a campaign along 

 the general lines indicated could be made among the old, and 

 at present profitless, orchards of the State, either cleaning 

 them up or cutting them down, it would certainly do a great 

 deal toward putting Massachusetts fruit on a better footing 

 with both dealers and consumers, and it would make an addi- 

 tion to the income of the farmers of the State by no means to 

 be despised. 



