No. 108. J 47 



Apples. 



The orchard from which the apples exhibited by my gardener, 

 Maurice Cunningham, at the late Fair of the American Institute, 

 and for which a premium was awarded, were grafted on natuarl 

 stocks when one year old, in the following manner: 



The small trees were raised from the ground on the 6th of April, 

 by aid of a spade, care being taken not to injure the roots. The top 

 was cut off one inch above the roots, which remaining portion was 

 split with a sharp knife through the center, and a graft taken from a 

 bearing Newton Pipin tree inserted; they were then set out in nursery 

 rows, eighteen inches apart in the row, the rows four feet apart; 

 they were then covered, except about a quarter of an inch, which 

 remained above ground. The plow was used three times during each 

 summer between the rows, until the trees were five years old; then 

 they were taken up and set out in the quincunx order, in the month 

 of April. A hole was dug for each tree, three feet in diameter; the 

 top soil to the depth of eight inches, as taken out, was laid on one 

 side of the hole, and the sub-soil to the depth of sixteen inches, on 

 the other. When the hole was completed, apart of the top soil was 

 thrown in the bottom, well incorporated with thoroughly rotted sta- 

 ble manure. The tree was then set one inch deeper than it stood 

 before taken from the nursery, and the balance of the top soil was 

 then placed over the roots, finely pulverized with the hand; the tree 

 at the same time being gently shaken during the operation. Two 

 pails of water were then thrown in, and left five hours to settle; 

 when the hole was filled with the sub-soil; which should be covered 

 to the depth of an inch, with slacked oyster shell lime. In the 

 month of March my trees were w^ashed w'ith soft soap, put on with a 

 whitewash brush, after having been scraped with an iron scraper, 

 and trimmed in the month of June. 



ROBERT L. PELL. 



Pelham, Ulster Co., JV. F. 



Grapes. 



Gentlemen of the American Institute — In looking over the list of 

 premiums awarded by the Managers of your most valuable institution, 

 my attention is particularly called to the last page, in which the Ma- 

 nagers of the Fheenth Fair call upon competitors entitled to premi- 

 ums aw^arded to them at said Fair, for a written account of the mode 

 and manner of cultivation, &c., for the purpose of advancing the ob- 

 jects of the institution through improvements in Agriculture and the 

 Arts. 



In compliance with your request, I place at your disposal a few 

 brief remarks touching ray mode of production. While I am duly 

 sensible to the regard manifested by your general application, and 

 by the flattering terms in which your sentiments and those of the 

 institution have been conveyed in your reward to me, I am yet aware 

 that I owe all to your judgment, and not to any value which I place 



