1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 29 



when he put a man into it who did not know very much 

 about pruning to do that work. After the pruning was done, 

 I happened to pass the orchard, and I thought to myself, 

 "Well, one more pruning and you have your fire-wood." 

 The orchard was just ruined, in my opinion, by that exces- 

 sive pruning, which left just a little tuft on top of four or 

 five main branches, and aside from that the tree was gone. 

 The next season the trees will undoubtedly be full of 

 suckers, which will be a nuisance ; and I consider trees 

 which have been pruned in that way, three or four large 

 branches taken oft", just about ruined. I would rather an 

 old orchard should be a little too thick, than to have it so 

 mercilessly pruned. But what is better is to go in and thin 

 out, as Dr. Fisher has said, any dead wood and any 

 branches that cross each other, and then let it alone and get 

 what you can from it. 



Question. I would like to ask the gentleman if he has 

 had any experience with the Newtown Pippin ? 



Mr. Augur. I have a few trees of Newtown Pippins, and 

 I rather value them, but I do not consider it a profitable 

 apple for market. On the Hudson it formerly did remark- 

 ably well, and brought very high prices in England ; but 

 even there it does not at the present time hold its former 

 ascendency. It needs high culture. 



Question. I would like to ask Mr. Augur if he has any 

 preference in regard to localities ? 



Mr. AuGUE. Yes, sir ; I would not advise any one to 

 plant an apple orchard in the vicinity of a city on land that 

 is good for truck gardening. But if a man has an old past- 

 ure which has not been ploughed for a good many years, 

 where the land is rather heavy, I think that answers very 

 well. 



Professor Stockbridge. We have two experts here, and 

 I think we ought to pump them thoroughly. Some very 

 important matters have been brought out by Dr. Fisher and 

 Mr. Augur, and I have one question which I would like to 

 ask. A few years ago we were told to cultivate our or- 

 chards, but not to undertake to grow two crops, — a crop of 

 trees and a crop of hay. It was everywhere said that you 

 must cultivate your orchards, keep them clean like a hoed 



