198 THE NEW AGEICULTUEE. 



and though approaching three score years and ten, I have become 

 a deeply interested student of a system, bound, I am satisfied, to 

 become general throughout the land. 



"Always taking a deep interest in orcharding, I have taken par- 

 ticular notice of the effect of Mr. Cole's system on apple-trees. 

 I have seen an old tree made to cast off its dead bark, and drop its 

 mosses, the trunk and limbs to the end of every twig having a 

 bright and vigorous growth. The old apple tree standing alone on 

 the trenched portion of Mr. Cole's farm has been with me an ob- 

 ject of continual interest. Mr. Cole has had this tree photograph- 

 ed, the picture being taken several days ago. Even then, the low- 

 er limbs had in some instances reached the ground, and were rest- 

 ing upon ii Other limbs are following suit, and it looks now as 

 though all of the lower limbs would rest upon the ground. I have 

 urged Mr. Cole to have the tree propped up, but he insists upon it 

 that none of the limbs having broken, none will. Mr. Cole tells 

 me the top of the tree has nearly doubled in spread since trench- 

 ing above it, and this I cannot doubt, as it has grown since I be- 

 gan working for him as I never saw any tree grow before. I have 

 rarely seen a tree so bright in the lustre of its bark throughout its 

 entire top, and to the end of every twig. The old and shaggy 

 bark on the body has been continually dropping off, moss disap- 

 pearing, and the tree throughout has the appearance of youth, and 

 yet, according to Mr. Pooler, who knew it as a ten year old tree, 

 thirty years ago, it should have reached its prime. That it has 

 grown nearly as much in three years past, as in its entire life be- 

 fore, I am satisfied. The fruit on this tree, Mr. Pooler says, grew 

 no larger than a good sized thorn apple, when he owned the place, 

 and was an insignificant and worthless russet. The apple as seen 

 at present, shows so little of the russet coating, as to have the ap- 

 pearance of a greening, when seen at a little distance ; hence the 



