9 2 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



matters, such as bone manures or coprolites and kainit, applied alternately as a yearly 

 dressing, will sustain the soil's fertility for an indefinite period. 



Another important operation needs careful consideration. In many orchards the 

 trees are mere seedlings, inferior in variety, or ill adapted to the prevailing conditions, 

 and sometimes the heads are overgrown and, perhaps, broken so as to necessitate putting 

 on new. This is done simply by cutting back early in the winter the earlier the better 

 carefully paring the wounds smooth, and covering with the following solution : 

 Dissolve gum shellac in alcohol until the liquid is of the consistency of paint. It 

 should be kept in a tightly-corked wide- mouthed bottle: the brush may penetrate the 

 cork, and thus the preparation will be always ready for use. 



In removing large limbs for grafting purposes it is desirable that the cut be made in 

 the right place so as to secure quick covering of the scar with bark. When cut so as 

 to leave a long stub, this is unsightly, and decay often follows and descends into the 

 trunk ; cutting too closely hinders the covering of the scar with new bark, resulting in a 

 hole in the branch or tree. At the base of all branches is a collar or swelling, the outer 

 edge of which is the right place to cut off a limb for the wound to grow over quickly ; 

 properly treated when cut there will be no decay, the wound soon being covered with 

 bark. "When the new growth starts, many more shoots appear than are desirable ; 

 select the best placed and most uniform in vigour, rubbing off the others when quite 

 small. These shoots will bear in the third year, affording much finer fruit than did 

 the old branches removed. This is an eligible procedure when trees have their heads 

 broken by wind, heavy falls of snow, or have become unfruitful from overcrowding 

 of the branches. It is very successfully performed on apple, pear, damson, and free- 

 growing plums indeed, on all trees that, from density of head and weakness of parts, 

 produce indifferent fruit. Proper care must be taken to keep the new heads open by 

 the timely removal of surplus growths. 



Sometimes a mixed orchard contains healthy trees of inferior sorts, which produce 

 trashy fruit of no use for home consumption or sale. Perhaps there are too many of 

 one kind, which gives more fruit than can be conveniently disposed of; therefore it is 

 desirable to have varieties which ripen in succession. 



Information respecting the successional ripening of varieties can be obtained from 

 the special instructions on the different fruits. For some or all of the above reasons, 

 work in transforming the character of orchards is continually being effected, the pro- 

 cedure being by budding and grafting. 



