THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



417 



much rational enjoyment to an active mind, and, 

 if I am not murh deceived, will prove a source of 

 eubglantiai comfort and profit to the prudent pracii- 

 cal farmers of our country. If my exertions can in 

 any degree add to the numerous inducemenis 

 which already exist, to urije our landed gentle- 

 men to improve their estates by plantations of the 

 finer itinds of table and liquor Iruits, I shall be 

 amply rewarded for the time and money I have 

 expended in the pursuit. 



Experiment No. 1.— In the fall of 1794-5, I 

 commenced the plantation of an orchard on a 

 good loamy soil and in a favorable situation. Be- 

 ing a novice in the business, and having no cor- 

 rect information, for at that time a young orchard 

 was a perfect novelty in my neighborhood, the 

 holes were dug very deep and narrow, w'th the 

 mistaken expectation of its being necessary to 

 support the trees. The ground was for several 

 years kept in clover, and part of it being rather 

 stiff, the natural green gr ss prevailed over the 

 clover, so as to injure the trees extremely. The 

 trees g.rew slowly ; many of them have since 

 been taken up and replaced by others planted in 

 shallower and wider holes; the latter plantations 

 have gained last upon the first ; and since I have 

 had the ground around the trees dug or ploughed, 

 the whole orchard containing about three hundred 

 and forty trees, grows vigorously, and has a uni- 

 form appearance. 



No. 2.— In the fall of 1802, I began another 

 orchard, which in the two lollowing seasons was 

 enlarged to about three hundred and loriy trees. 

 These trees were large and . igorons. The holes 

 were duo wide, and the tjrround around them ma- 

 nured highly with stable dung the follovving wir;- 

 ter. The ground being in clover remained uncul- 

 tivated fur two years. The drought of the two 

 following summers killed many of the trees, and 

 the field mice which Ibund a com brtabie winter 

 shelter destroyed many more. The orc'ard did 

 not flourish in a manner which the goodness of 

 the soil and my great care led me to expect. 1 

 determined therefore to plough it thoroughly, and 

 to break in upon my established course of crops 

 for the purpose of recovering the trees by cultiva- 

 tion. The event has fully answered my wishes • 

 the trees now flourish with uncommon vigor and 

 at present exhibit a promising appearance ; being 

 now so large as to be completely established and 

 out of danger. 



JVo. 3.— In the fall of 1S03, I planted fcriy- 

 five trees in a lot adjoining to No. 2. The trees 

 were not large, but the ground being under con- 

 slant cultivation they grew rapidly. None ol 

 tbem (one excepted) died by the drought of the 

 following summer, which proved so desiruciive to 

 their neighbors in the clover ground. It was 

 my observation of these trees which first led me 

 to change my mode of treating my young 

 orchards. 



No. 4.— In the fall of 1804, I planted four 

 hundred and eighty-four trees in a clover field. 

 The holes were dug lljur feet wide, two »[)ite 

 deep ; the lower one thrown away, and its place 

 supplied by a compost manure, composed of sta- 

 ble dung, a small portion of river mud and a lar>»e 

 proportion of lime, about a wagon load of the 

 mixture was applied to six trees ; in some in- 

 etancea it was mixed in the holes with the earth in 

 planting, in others it was thrown around the tree 

 Vol. X.-53 



on the surface after planting. The ground re- 

 mained in clover unplouszhed and undug the whole 

 ol the following summer. The trees put out well 

 the first spring, but the drought of the succeeding 

 summer prevented their growth, those which 

 did not perish were nearly stationary. I replaced 

 one hundred and thirty of them the i()llowing (all, 

 since which I have replanted nearly one third 

 more, and have kept the ground in corn for two 

 successive years, by which means the surviving 

 trees have perfectly recovered, and together with 

 the replanted trees at present exhibit a uniform 

 and vii'orous appearance, fjromising in every re- 

 spect to be a fine orchard. 



No. 5.~ln November 1805, I planted three 

 hundred and eleven trees adjoining to No. 4. 

 The holes prepared in the same manner, mary 

 of the trees large, transplanted a second time ; I 

 mixed no stable dimg with the compost, which 

 was composed of river mud and ashes whh a 

 small portion of lime. This ! put round the trees 

 on the surface, a wagon load to ten of them. 

 The ground had been previously planted with 

 corn. Although generally deemed an exhausting 

 crop, I have continued it in corn for three succes- 

 sive years ; except part, which has been con- 

 stantly orcupied (to adopt the language of this 

 part of New-Jersey) in a truck patch. These 

 trees have grown with a vigor I never saw equal- 

 led. In two years but one has died, and that was 

 lately destroyed by the fi.eld mice ; and the or- 

 chard is allowed to be the handsomest in this part 

 of the country. 



No. 6. — In November 1805, at the same lime 

 With the preceding experiment, 1 planted two 

 hundred and fifty-two trees on a corn fallow ; the 

 holes prepared as in No. 5. I ajiplied stable 

 manure, hauled out the preceding sprinir, in about 

 the same proportion around the trees. In the fol- 

 lowing spring the ground, which was in hii/h or- 

 der, having tieen manured wiih about three hun- 

 dred bushel.^ of leached ashes per acre, was sown 

 with oats : the oats grew finely, and the trees 

 put out very beautifully. They grew well (or some 

 time, but as the oats by their <xrowth exhausted 

 the moiisture from the earth (which had not been 

 dus) ihe trees withered, and by the lime the oats 

 ripened about forty of the trees had perished. As 

 soon as the oats werecut I had the ground plough- 

 ed. This checked the destruction of Ihe trees: 

 those which had not previously peiished soon 

 recovered, in some degree, a healthful appearance, 

 and took a second growth in the autumn. The 

 trees replanted and ihe survivors of the original 

 plantation have been dug round twice in the last 

 season, and although the ground has been sown 

 uiih wheat and is now in clover, they generally look 

 well and promising, but m no degree to be compare 

 ed with those manured with the compost of mud, 

 ashes and lime, and kept under cultivation. 



No. 7.— In October 1806, I planted part of 

 an orchard of two hundred and fen trees, which I 

 compleied in the (bllowina December ; the ground 

 prepared and manured with ashes for a corn crop; 

 the trees planted and manured with stable dung 

 hauled out the (.receding spr:ng. In tiie spring of 

 1807, the ground was sown with oats. AH the 

 trees planted in Decemlser, and dug after the oafa 

 had attained lo bume size have, grown well. Of 

 those planted on the 24ih of October, one third 

 part perished in the following eunnmer, whicJi I 



