108 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Asa Clement spoke of reading in a newspaper advice to plant 

 fruit trees in waste land ; but in his vicinity such lands arc of ver}' 

 poor qualitA'. Professor Maynard does not mean such land as this, 

 but strong soil that holds moisture pretty well. Thirt}- years ago 

 the speaker planted apple trees in newl}- cleared pasture land, 

 where in some places there was so little soil among the rocks that 

 he had to cart it in, to get enough to set the trees in. Tliese trees 

 have done well. The cattle run among them until September, 

 when the}' are excluded in order to save the windfall fruit. He 

 thought well of the suggestions of the essayist. Apples can be 

 grown without much cultivation, but if planted in waste land it 

 must be the right kind ; the light soils must be left for pines and 

 larches. He has some trees fifteen years planted that look well ; 

 those tliirty years old look as if they wanted something to help 

 them along. He strews a little ashes and bone around his trees, 

 which improves the pasture. If thej'- had regular supplies of food 

 they would go right along. Some of his trees are in heavy land, 

 where the spiings are too near the surface in some places. He 

 advised to plant apple trees where a growth of oak or hickory or 

 other hard wood had been cut off. He has a few Roxbury Russet 

 trees, which are not satisfactory ; the Baldwin succeeds better. He 

 thinks that apples from young trees keep best, and that a medium- 

 sized apple keeps better than an overgrown one. There is no 

 difference in quality between apples from cultivated and unculti- 

 vated land. He has successfully set apple trees so large that it took 

 three men to carry one. 



Mr. Hadwen said it was well understood by ever}' one who 

 grows apples that they must be fed with proper fertilizers, and 

 neither Professor Maynard nor any one else can do it without. 

 The question is whether it is any more expensive to give nourish- 

 ment to trees in grass than in ploughed ground. Professor May- 

 nard recommends not to cut the grass around the trees, but to leave 

 it on the ground, as crops removed from the ground exhaust it. 



The speaker has an orchard planted in 1843, and ploughed and 

 fertilized since then. The trees have grown very large, but if not 

 pruned the fruit is not so large as in grass. Fruit ripens earlier 

 in tilled land than in grass ; the ploughed ground absorl)s more 

 heat. Some kinds, among which are the Northern Spy and Holden, 

 will be a month later in grass than in ploughed laud. Trees in 

 grass, enriched annually, give the best fruit so far as regards 

 quality. Prize fruit must be grown with the best cultivation, and 



