MALUS. 



MALUS. 



known to attain to a much greater size than | 

 that of others. 



The period of growth, or the duration of the 

 apple tree is comparatively limited; this is 

 sufficiently evident from the perishable nature 

 of its timber. Those species of trees only will 

 continue living and growing for centuries, 

 whose timber may be preserved incorrupti- 

 ble during the lapse of a long succession of 

 ages. 



Soil and situation. A rich soil, rather moist 

 than dry, is that adapted to the apple tree ; but 

 what is' usually termed a deep pan soil is to be 

 preferred. 



On such a soil, whether f on the plains, or in 

 the valley, or on the sides and summits of our 

 great hills, which almost always consist of 

 good land, and even in situations the most ex- 

 posed, the apple tree will flourish. 



One of the most productive apple-orchards in 

 the immediate vicinity of Boston is situated on 

 the north and north-west sides of a hill, the most 

 expc-t il to cold winds. The soil of great hills 

 is generally of far superior quality to that of 

 the plains; and it is a very mistaken opinion, 

 which seems adopted by some, that the soil of 

 all hills must of necessity be dry and deficient 

 in moisture. It is the plains and the knolls 

 that are but too generally thus deficient, not the 

 great hills, which almost always abound in 

 springs. 



Land half-covered with rocks, and incapable 

 of being cultivated with the plough, is in some 

 respects admirably suited to the apple tree ; 

 for, in such situations, they are not liable to 

 suffer from drought; they receive nearly a 

 double portion of moisture from the rains that 

 fail, and a greater degree of heat by the reflect 

 ed rays of the sun. 



They may even flourish on sandy plains, if, 

 where the tree is to be placed, an excavation 

 is formed 6 or 8 feet in diameter, and 3 or 4 

 feet in depth, and half-filled either with useless 

 small stones, intermixed with rich loam, mud 

 from the low grounds, clay, or gravelly clay, or 

 mixtures of any of these substances with a 

 portion of manure, and the remainder of the 

 excavation filled to the surface with rich loam. 

 Management of the Lund. If the ground intend- 

 ed for the orchard cannot conveniently be kept 

 wholly in a state of cultivation during the first 

 years, a portion, at least, ought to be. 



A .strip of land to each row, of 8 or 10 feet 

 in width, well manured, may be kept cultivated, 

 and the vegetables which may here be raised 

 will amply repay the expense and labour be- 

 stowed during the first 4 or 5 years. After this, 

 if the trees have grown well, as they probably 

 must have done, cultivation at a distance in the 

 intervals becomes even more important than 

 within the limited distance of a very few feet 

 from the trunk of the tree ; for, on examination 

 it will be found that the small fibres or sponge- 

 lets, by which alone the tree derives all the 

 nourishment it receives from the earth, are 

 now remote from the trunk of the tree ; they 

 are now to be found seeking pasture beyond 

 the limits of its shade, and it becomes neces- 

 sary that the whole ground should be kept in a 

 high state of cultivation for the 4 or 5 follow- 

 ing years. After this period it may occasion- 



ally be laid to grass, which, however, should 

 3e broken up at frequent intervals, the land 

 being always kept in good heart. 



Pruning. If the branches of a young tree, 

 issuing at and above the requisite height, be 

 made, by pruning, to diverge from the trunk 

 in every direction above the horizontal, and 

 the interior of these be carefully kept from 

 any interference with each other for a few 

 years, little pruning will ever afterwards be 

 necessary. 



Heavy pruning is seldom necessary or advi- 

 sable ; but when, as in the case of grafting, or 

 of heading down for a new growth, it becomes 

 unavoidable, it should always be performed in 

 that interval between the time the frost is 

 coming out of the ground in spring, and the 

 opening of the leaf. 



For that moderate pruning, which alone is 

 generally needful, June and July, and during 

 the longest days of summer, is the very best 

 time : for wounds of all kinds heal admirably 

 at this period, the wood remaining sound and 

 bright ; and even a tree debarked at this season 

 recovers a new bark immediately. 



Trees ought not to be pruned in February 

 and March, at the time the frost is coming out 

 of the ground. This is the season when most 

 trees, and particularly the vine and sugar- 

 maple, bleed most copiously and injuriously. 

 It causes inveterate canker ; the wounds turn 

 black, and the bark, for perhaps several feet 

 below, becomes equally black, and perfectly 

 dead, in consequence of the bleeding. 



The lower side limbs of young trees in the 

 nursery should be gradually shortened, but not 

 suddenly close pruned ; they are essential for 

 a time to strengthen the trunk, and to the 

 upright and perfect formation of the tree. 



These directions are particularly applicable 

 to the apple tree. I would only add, that when 

 these directions have been followed, when 

 large and profitable crops are desired, our 

 cultivators generally avoid robbing their trees 

 unnecessarily of a particle of bearing wood. 



Those limbs which interfere with other limbs 

 by galling, the suckers, and dead wood, are 

 alone removed; for they consider that the 

 warmth of the atmosphere is of itself sufficient 

 in our climate to ripen the fruit, without at- 

 tempting to admit the sun to every part of the 

 tree. 



These directions are to be more especially 

 observed in regard to old trees in their declin- 

 ing years: their trunks being too old for the 

 reproduction and sustenance of a crop of new 

 and fruitful wood, nothing should be taken 

 away but the dead branches and suckers. We 

 have seen old trees, whose branches were an- 

 nually loaded with fruit, despoiled at once by 

 the hand of man of half their bearing wood, 

 under the mistaken idea that the destruction of 

 the one half of the tree would confer a benefit 

 on the remainder, and render it still more pro- 

 | ductive. We noticed, however, that the effect 

 | thus produced was directly the reverse, as their 

 total destruction usually followed, as a conse- 

 quence, not long after. 



Insects. See BORERS, CATERPILLARS, CCH- 

 CULIO, <fec. (Kenrick's New American Orchard- 



3 s 2 



761 



