STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 45 



form throughout. Those were the requirements sought for in 

 the selection of buds. Nearly lOO of those trees we top-worked 

 five years ago. They came into bearing in much shorter time 

 than I ever had trees bear before. Buds were selected from those 

 trees to start another orchard. Now, the selection was made 

 again with reference to the very finest. Out of lOO trees I 

 found but two or three that came up to the standard, in form 

 and in uniformity of fruit. And so, out of the lOO, the selection 

 was narrowed to two or three. This has been the principle upon 

 which my orchards have been built up, and the results that are 

 now beginning to come are certainly beyond my anticipations. 

 I have selected other varieties upon this principle ; for example, 

 the Sutton Beauty. This is an old variety of unusual merit. 

 I am glad to be able to show you, this afternoon, fruit of the 

 Sutton Beauty from a tree which was top-worked but three 

 years ago last spring, and produced, this year, two bar- 

 rels of apples. (Showing sample.) Here is a portion of the 

 wood. Here are side branches taken from the main branch of 

 a tree top- worked three years ago. And those of you who care 

 to examine this wood will see that the very principle I have 

 spoken of is here wonderfully manifested. Despite the very 

 short period within which this tree has been brought into bear- 

 ing, it is supplied with a fine development of buds for next year, 

 and when the fourth year comes around it is going to show 

 a magnificent setting of fruit. This is an exemplification of the 

 principle. I have no doubt that we can shorten the time of the 

 bearing of orchards. Instead of running seven, eight, and ten 

 years, the third year has already shown fruit to the extent I 

 have mentioned. 



(Mr. Powell shows an apple.) Here is a variety known as the 

 Lady Winter Sweet, which at the end of five years' top-work, 

 has produced more than a barrel of fruit. A number of the trees 

 representing this variety, this year came out beautifully laden 

 with perfect fruit. This is an average of the fruit of the tree. 

 Now this is certainly not only interesting, but it gives a great 

 deal of encouragement to take up the study of horticulture. It 

 gives me an entirely new appreciation of the vigor of the land 

 here in the East. It is not uncommon West. There the cli- 

 matic conditions are so fine, the soil conditions so congenial. 



