80 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



is to set peach trees by themselves, not less than one rod apart, 

 and apple trees should never be set within two rods of each 

 other. My orchard contains two hundred and thirty-six trees, 

 and set in their present place in the spring of 1844. 



An important object was overlooked in rearing my orchard, 

 until it was too late to correct the fault ; this was in not shaping 

 the heads of the trees, in a manner that would allow ploughing, 

 &c., to be done among them with sufficient case ; all the fault I 

 notice in the appearance of my orchard is in our not having 

 known that by arranging the tops of trees, properly, it would 

 favor the future growth, and also the bearing and ripening of 

 the fruit. The most important fault is in not starting the lower 

 branches sufficiently high to allow oxen or horses ample room 

 to plough beneath ; this fault should be corrected by all who 

 contemplate to raise an orchard ; every one should bear in mind 

 that, "just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined." My folly 

 should be a caution to others. 



The soil upon which my trees are planted is of many varieties, 

 from the rich loam to the almost unproductive knoll of rocks, 

 and I can see a vast difference between the trees on productive 

 land and those on that which is poor. I think apples can be 

 raised on rocky land, that will keep longer and better than 

 those raised on loamy soil, but the apples will in most cases be 

 much smaller, as will also the trees, and apples thus raised are 

 more liable to be of an irregular shape. I keep the trees under 

 a continued state of cultivation, raising potatoes, corn, squashes, 

 beans, cabbages, &c., with a large variety of root-crops ; which 

 are raised with profit, if not in too close conjunction with the 

 trees. I make it a rule to prune annuallj^ in May or June, not 

 forgetting that too many branches taken off at once will injure 

 the tree ; of the two months for pruning we prefer May. 



I manure my crops liberally, and when dunging for crops I 

 usually throw a quantity about the roots of the trees. The 

 manure used is composed of muck and barn manure well mixed 

 together ; I intend to keep the land as free of weeds as possi- 

 ble ; I have never washed the trees but once, but think young 

 trees should be washed annually, with a composition of potash 

 water and manure, which will give the trees a healthy appear- 

 ance if it does not benefit them. 



