FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 11 



Mr. Deane then goes on to offer his reasons, why the full 

 of the moon should be pretered 10 any other time, and con- 

 cludes with an opinion, that even apples for cider should 

 be gathered at that time Certain it is, that many Farmers 

 have the fullest belief, that the full of the moon is the most 

 proper time ior many things to be done, in the line of their 

 business ; and it may be knowledge which is the result of 

 long experience, and handed down from Father to Son, 

 even trom times more remote than we are apt to imagine. 



It is confidently asserted by many, that apples may be 

 safely kept in casks through Winter, in a cold chamber, or 

 garret, by being merely covered with linen cloths. 



APPLETREE (Pyrus Malus.) This tree flourishes 

 most in a terme sandy loam, sandy, or rich, warm, gravely 

 soil. A stiff clay is not good, even though it be rich. It 

 thrives better in a poor sandy soil than in any other poor 

 cartn. 



Some appletrees bear alternately and some yearly. The 

 cause of tne former is said to be owing to the young tree 

 bearing too large a crop at first; for this so exhausts it as 

 to render -it unfit for bearing the next year; in the mean 

 time, it becomes sufficiently recruited for a heavy crop the 

 third year; and thus it becomes confirmed in the habit of 

 alternate bearing, in whic i it ever after continues. In 

 order, therefore, to prevent young trees from geting into 

 this habit, let the young fruit be striped off where it 

 appears too plentiful, bui less and less each year, until 

 such time as the tree can bear a full yearly crop, and thus 

 become Confirmed in the habit of a yearly bearer. Perhaps 

 a tree thai has become confirmed in the habit of alternate 

 bearing might have its habit changed, by once or twice 

 divesting it of its young fruit during the bearing year, and 

 manuring it well during that season. 



Take a scion from a yearly, and graft it on the limb of 

 an alternate bearer, and it will become alternate, and vice 

 versa. But if the true reason has been given for alternate 

 bearing, it does not follow that a scion from a yearly bear- 

 er, when grafted on a stock that has never borne, will be- 

 come alternate. In the first case, the habit of the alternate 

 bearer, being already confirmed, regulates the scion ; but 

 where the habit of the scion has become confirmed, and 

 that of the young stock has not, it would seem that the 

 habit of the scion must prevail. At the Summer solstice, 

 the bark of the body of an appleyee may be taken off, and 

 a new bark will presently form, which will regenerate the 

 tree, and render such, as were before barren, productive. 



See further; FRUIT-TREES; ORCHARD, NURSERYJ and 

 CRABAPPLE. 



