the ^Agriculture of Massachusetts. 151 



are only half as valuable as potatoes, and many farmers deem them 

 of equal value for this purpose, the ease with which they are raised 

 Btroiisly recommends their cultivation. 



"There are many orchards in Middlesex of large extent and in ex- 

 cellent condition. Two were some time since the subjects of pre- 

 mium from the Massachusetts Agricultural Society. The one be- 

 longing to Nahum Hardy, of Waitham, who reclaimed eight acres 

 of land from a wild and rude state, and planted it with 500 apple 

 trees, all engrafted fruit; the other of E. Phinney, of Lexington, 

 who brought a rough piece of land into a suitable condition, and 

 planted it with 400 trees. Both these farmers have extended their 

 cultivation since that time, and the admirable condition of their trees 

 evinces the skill and care of their management. The product of the 

 orchard of the latter makes a large item in the returns of his farm. 

 He has more than a thousand trees in bearing. 



"Mr. Phinney saved some of his trees a few years since, by a pro- 

 cess which is worth recording. They had been completely girdled 

 near the ground in the winter by the mice, who had eaten the bark 

 round to a width of two or three inches or more. By cutting scions, 

 and inserting the ends of several of them in the spring round the 

 tree, under the bark, above and below the injury, so as to form a 

 communication for the sap, the injured parts have begun to grow to- 

 gether, the whole wound may ultimately be covered, and the tree 

 live and flourish. To most persons, after the injury their situation 

 would have seemed desperate. Mr. Phinney avoids planting his 

 trees deep; but cultivates them as near the surface as he can, and at 

 the same time sufficiently to cover the roots. 



"John Welles, whose farm is in Natick, in this county, and than 

 whom few men among us have given more attention to the subject 

 of fruit and forest trees, considers the ordinary life of apple trees 

 about sixty years; but it would be desirable to replace them soon af- 

 ter their decline commences. The situation most favorable to an or- 

 chard is a sheltered situation with a moist soil. He succeeded in pro- 

 ducing a valuable growth of trees on a light and unfriendly soil, by 

 making a hole for planting four feet square; after removing about a 

 foot of the top soil, which was to be returned round the tree, taking 

 out the hard pan at bottom to a sufficient depth to deposit in it a load 

 of stones, and then sprinkling some mould on the stones and plant- 

 ing his tree. The stones served to preserve moisture for the roots, 

 and gave likewise in their interstices room for the roots to extend 

 themselves. No farmer need complain that his land is not suitable 

 for an orchard; because he may make it suitable, at an expense 

 which the fruit of the tree, after it comes in bearing, will soon com- 

 pensate. 



"James Cutter, of Weston, has been remarkably successful in 

 transplanting trees of more than ordinary size. He has removed 

 pear trees of eight and ten inches in diameter. His practice is to 

 clean the dirt entirely from the roots of the tree; to cut off all the 

 roots, at a distance of four or five feet from the tree; and to put no 

 manure in the hole." 



