AN ESSAY 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE APPLE^ 



BY JOHN M. IVES. 



1847. 



The apple is imcloubtedlj the most valuable fruit of temperate^ 

 climates, and in no part of the world does it succeed better than ia 

 our own New England. There are not to be found finer varieties 

 than have been produced in Massachusetts. Such are the "Bald- 

 win," "Hubbardston Nonsuch," "Minister," "Porter," "Lyscom," 

 "Williams' Favorite," "Roxburj Russet," "Ben of Reading," and 

 the "Mother." 



This fruit is unquestionably the most profitable , as well as easiest 

 of culture for the farmer. The earliness of some varieties, and the 

 long keeping properties of others, render the apple one of the 

 choicest gifts of nature. One of the first and most successful cul- 

 tivators of this fruit in our country, was William Coxe, of BurHng- 

 ton, in New Jersey, who had in his orchard some thirty years since 

 upward of one hundred sorts ; many of these trees are now in a 

 thrifty state, particularly those that were engrafted upon suckers. 

 We have for some time been convinced that sticJcers make good 

 stocks ; and the above in relation to Coxe's Orchards of the Apple, 

 (as we were informed during a recent visit to Burlington ;) seems to 

 corroborate this. The roots of suckers are more inclined to take a 

 horizontal direction than seedHngs, which are apt to extend down- 

 wards into a cold sub-soil. Leibig's, the great Agricultural chem- 

 ist, leading principle is, that the carbon of plants is chiefly derived 

 from the atmosphere ; which suggests the importance of admitting 

 arr to the roots of plants, by inviting them to the surface. The sup- 

 ply of suckers, however, is so limited, as at least one half of those 

 taken from around trees, have not sufficient roots, and many of 

 them crooked stems, we must propagate from seed ; usually obtained 

 from the pomace of the cider mill. 



Sowing seed. The seed must be sown in autumn, in drills in well 



pulverized soil; keeping the surface loose and free from weeds. In 



1 the spring of the second season, as early as the weather will admit, 



we select the largest of one year's growth, take them up, shorten 



their tap-roots, and then plant them out in nursery rows, one foot 



