118 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



the blossom buds, which are already formed for the 

 next year's fruit. These buds are placed at the side 

 of the foot stalk of the fruit, and if the spurs are brok- 

 en, there will be no fruit on that part the next season. 

 The pressing against the trees, therefore, with heavy 

 ladders, and the rash practice of thrashing the limbs 

 with poles, ought to be entirely abandoned ; for by 

 such means, the bark and limbs are bruised, and the 

 blossom buds for the succeeding year are destroyed. 

 Instead of ladders, stepping frames should be employ- 

 ed, and a pole, furnished with a hook at the end, and 

 covered with coarse cloth, may be used to shake the 

 small limbs, without injuring the bark. When per- 

 fectly ripe, apples for cider may be shaken off without 

 injury to the buds, but still they will be bruised, un- 

 less the ground be covered with blankets or straw. 

 Particular care is requisite in gathering winter fruit 

 for keeping : they should be gathered by the hand, 

 and without injury, removing them from the gather- 

 ing basket to the casks prepared for them, with great 

 care : if bruised, they soon decay ; and the less those 

 that are sound are moved, the better. When in bar- 

 rels, they should be placed in a dry, cool, shaded situ- 

 ation, above ground, and remain until endangered by 

 frost, and then put into the cellar. 



The following valuable observations, contained in a 

 letter from N. Webster, esquire, have been published 

 in the Massachusetts Agricultural Repository, from 

 the Connecticut Courant. 



PRESERVATION OF APPLES. 



"it is the practice with some persons, to pick them 

 in October, and first spread on them on the floor of 

 an upper room. This practice is said to render ap- 

 ples more durable, by drying them. But I can affirm 

 this to be a mistake. Appks, if remaining on the 



