52 THE APPLE. 



By Budding. This course, from the immense demand for trees 

 and the more ready and extended propagation by means of roots, 

 has almost been discarded during the past six or eight years. Bud- 

 ding is now again, however, coming into favor. Stocks for budding 

 should be thrifty, of about half inch diameter, and the bud, inserted 

 about four to six inches above the ground, and as much on the north 

 side of the stock as possible. The time for this is usually the month 

 of August, varying from early to late in month, as the location is 

 South or North, and the season early or late. 



By layers and cuttings. This course is only pursued to increase 

 the quantity of stocks of the Paradise apple on which to dwarf va- 

 rieties. Some growers West, however, have reputation for increasing 

 largely, and making fine saleable trees more rapidly by means of 

 layers, than otherwise. We have never seen them. 



Cutting of Scions. These may be cut at any time from the fall 

 of the leaf in October, to the swelling of the bud in Spring always, 

 however, taking care that there is no frost in the wood at the time of 

 cutting. We consider the best time late in the Fall, when they may 

 be packed in moss, damped, and wrapped in oil silk, laid in a cool 

 cellar, where they will usually keep well until Spring. The wood 

 of the past season's growth is that required, and best to cut, if possi- 

 ble, from bearing trees. When the cuttings are not made until 

 toward Spring, a black and diseased appearance at the pith will oft 

 be seen in those of vigorous growth. This, while it would, perhaps, 

 be of no moment on the original tree, sometimes is thought to lessen 

 the vitality and success of the scion. 



Selection of Trees from a Nursery. Trees of thrifty, not over 

 luxuriant habit, five to seven feet high, three years from bud or graft, 

 with branches from three feet up, well formed into rounded heads, 

 are worth twice as much as trees six years old, ten and twelve feet 

 high, without a branch within eight feet of the ground. It should, 

 however, always be recollected by the purchaser, that all varieties 

 have not the same habit and regular form of growth ; that while a 

 nursery-man can supply a tree of the Baldwin, straight, and just to 

 the fancy, he may often find it difficult, nay, impossible, to do so with 

 the Fall Wine, American Pearmain, and many other varieties, at the 

 same age ; and in his selection he should be guided more by the stocky 

 pyramidal form of the stem, and the position of branches, rather 

 than height of tree. 



Influence of Climate and location. Climate, as we have said on a 

 previous page, has no farther influence than to enhance maturity an d 

 vigor as we go South ; but location, in its preventing of injury from 

 frosts or severe cold, is quite another thing, and deserving the atten- 

 tion of every planter. Too often do we see orchards planted out in 

 the rich level valley of a farm, when the hills around are neglected. 

 Too often on small farms is this done also, to the loss comparatively 



