ON FRUIT TREKS. ol 



The nurseries of Mr. Ephraim Woods are situated in North Sa- 

 lem ; and the one visited by your Committee consists of about three 

 acres of rather uneven land, some portions of which are gravelly, 

 ■with ledges. The soil appeared to be -well cultivated and free from 

 weeds, though seen under somewhat disadvantageous circumstances. 

 The stock here consists mainly of apples, pears and some peaches. 

 The apple and peach trees were vigorous and healthy, and had made 

 a fine growth : they are all budded with the most approved varieties 

 of fruit, and in nearly all of them the budding had been a successful 

 operation. The trees offered by Mr. Woods for premium w^ere apple 

 trees only, and in the statement furnished to the Committee, he says: 



"I have about three thousand and sixty apple trees, one year's 

 growth from the bud, of the most approved varieties. The stocks, 

 when budded, were two or three years from the seed — one and two, 

 mostly one, when they were set out. The soil is a loam six to nine 

 inches deep, on a coarse gravelly bottom. The ground was manured 

 when the trees were set out, to the amount of five loads of common 

 barn yard manure to the acre, spread on the surface and ploughed 

 in. I have hoed the ground as I would in the cultivation of corn 

 and potatoes, so as to keep it free from weeds." 



Mr. Woods has also other nursery ground, well stocked with ro* 

 markably thrifty and fine pear and apple trees ; but as they did not 

 come within the Society's rules for premium, they were not offered 

 by him. 



The nursery of Mr. James B. Cole, in Beverly, contains about 

 two or three acres of loamy soil. Its surface is level, and appears 

 well suited to the purposes of a nursery. The stock consists princi- 

 pally of apples, with some pears. The apple trees were healthy and 

 thrifty, and the ground seemed to have been well taken care of. The 

 trees offered by him for premium were about two thousand apple trees. 

 Mr. Cole's mode of cultivating his nursery, and his course of manage- 

 ment will appear by the following extract from a statement furnished 

 by him to the Committee. He says : 



"The apple trees are about two thousand in number, one year from 

 the bud. The stocks, when they were budded, were three years 

 from the seed — two, when they were transplanted. In the spring 

 of 1844, they were transphited into rows, four feet apart, and from 

 eight to ten inches from each other, care being taken to select those 

 of uniform size. In August following, I budded them with the best 



