Published by Joh.n U. Russell, at J^d. 52 JVorih Market Street, (at the Agricultural IVarchoiise).— Thomas G. Fessenden, Editor. 



VOL. YIII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1830. 



No. 37. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



N. H. A. S. Dearborn, 



Pres. Mass. Hort. Society. 

 Oear Sir — I herewith forward a few observations on 

 hards, &c. They are at your service to dispose of as 

 may deem proper. 



With great respect. 



Your most obedient Sevant, 

 WILLIAM KENRICK. 

 Vewton, Fel>. 22rf, 1830. 



tSERVATIONS ON ORCHARDS OF THE 

 APPLE TREE. 



EIR MANAGEMENT &c. NOTES ON FOUN- 

 TAINS. 



SIZE AND AGE FOR TRANSPLANTING. 



\u apple-tree, when finally transplanted to the 

 lanl, ought to he at least 6 or 7 feet in height, 

 I branches in proiiortion, and full two years 

 from the bud, and thrifty. Apple trees under 

 size belong proper only tothe nursery. In 



ing them up, |)articular care should be taken 

 xtract, if possible, their roots entire. 



SOIL AND SITUATION. 



i rich soil, rather moist than dry, is that adapt- 

 to the apple tree ; but what is usually termed 

 eep pan soil, is always to be preferred. 

 )n such a soil, whether on the plains, in the 

 ey, or on the sides and summits of the great 

 ), which are almost always found to consist of 

 land, and even in situations the most exposed, 

 apple tree will flourish. 



)ne of the most productive apple orchards in 

 immediate vicinity, is situated on the North 

 Northwest sides of a hill the most exposed to 

 I winds. This orchard was set by the lat» 

 lothy Jackson, Esq., and though not of any very 

 It extent, and though not yet perhaps in its 

 le, it produces annu.illy about 400 barrels of 

 lable fruit. 



he soil of great hills is generally of a far su- 

 or quality to that of the plains, and it is a very 

 akcn opinion which seems adopted by many, 

 the soil of all hills must of necessity be dry 

 deficient in moisture. It is the plains and 

 lis that are iuu too generally thus deficient ; — 

 the great hills, which are almost always found 

 mding in f,7.rings. 



'his erroneous conclusion ha.s been inferred 

 I the supposition that the subterraneous reser- 

 whicli supply those numerous springs which 

 from the sides of most great hills, (and which 

 be supposed of necessity, to be more eleva- 

 han the springs themselves,) receive their sup- 

 wholly from the rains and dews which fall 

 eir sides and summits. 



liese causes however seem totally insuflicient 

 count for this phenomenon ; for much of the 

 which falls on the hills glides off, seldom pen- 

 more than a few inches. But the sudden 

 of our springs and fountains of every descrip- 

 and of every situation late in autumn, and 

 h always indicates that winter is nigh, even 

 ur very doors, should convince us that the 

 alone which fall, are not the primary cause : 

 r they rise invariably at their ajjpointed tim?, 

 lly with or without their intervention, 

 has been observed, that on the destruction of 

 brests, many of the springs disappear. Fo- 



rests undoubtedly, by their shade, have a tendency 

 to keep the soil cool, and consequently prevent 

 the evaporation of its moisture. It has therefore 

 been supposed by some, that the forests which 

 crown the summits of many of our high hills and 

 mountains, have the effect of absorbing by means 

 of their leaves, moisture from the atmosphere, 

 which is thence conveyed through their trunks 

 and roots to the earth, to replenisirthe fountains. 

 They instance in proof of this, the clouds, so 

 frequently seen hovering over those high hills and 

 mountains as though attracted by them. 



The truth however may be, perhaps, only the 

 more distinctly perceived by renouncing such the- 

 ories altogether, and by attributing this phenome- 

 non to no other cause than evaporation. 



The leaves of trees, if it be admitted that 

 they .sometimes may inhale, have nevertheless the 

 property of exhaling moisture very copiously : 

 and as to those clouds so often seen hovering over 

 the tops of mountains, as they are ever considered 

 the precursors of falling weather, they are no 

 doubt caused by that copious evaporation which 

 always precedes rain. 



Whence comes it to pass however, that, as by 

 a law of nature, the springs, the fountains, on 

 the jdains, in the valley, and even on the hills 

 and mountains, invariably rise on the immediate 

 approach of winter, and this too, independent of 

 the adventitious circumstance of rain ? Does all 

 this happen without a cause? Yet it is very evi- 

 dent that the rains alone, are not the cause ? 



A very late writer* has contended that the 

 springs which flow from the sides of hills, and 

 beneath the surface in wells, have their sources 

 not in the rains and dews, for these causes alone 

 are deemed insuflicient ; but from the condensa- 

 tion of vapor exhaled beneath the surface of the 

 earth. 



But such a theory is only admissible by suppo- 

 sing an increased degree of heat in the lower re- 

 gions of the earth. 



Accordingly it will be found on examination, 

 that most of those writers who have treated on 

 the subject of the earth, have asserted, that from 

 the actual examinations which have taken place, 

 in different countries, it has been found, that after 

 penetrating the earth beyond a limited extent, the 

 temperature begins to increase ; and continues in- 

 creasing, as you proceed downward. As this 

 fact is asserted by the most authentic writers, and 

 has never to my knowledge, been contradicted, 

 but generally admitted, we may presume it can- 

 not now be disputed. 



From these premises it might be inferred, that 

 on the immediate approach of winter, the exterior 

 and increased cold, by condensing the vapors of 

 the earth exhaled internally, causes the fountains 

 to rise even to the summits of our highest hills 

 and mountains. 



Other auxiliary or independent causes might 

 indeed be assigned. The increased degree of 

 cold on the earth's surface late in the autumnal 

 season, has no doubt a powerful effect in conden- 

 sing those vapors of the atmosphere which are 

 exhaled during the daytime from the resources 



*Mr Long. 



and more equal temperature of the low grounds 

 and waters. 



I will not however advance further on this sub- 

 ject ; I leave it for those more dispo.sed to pursue, 

 and better qualified. 



DISTANCES, &C. 



Though the distance to which apple trees shouhl 

 be finally set when transplanted to the 'orchard, 

 has been staled definitively by diflerent writers, 

 yet a little reflection will convince us that no defi- 

 nite rule can be given on this subject applicable to 

 all cases. 



The distance depends wholly on the uatbire of 

 the soil and the cultivation to be subsequently 

 given. If the .soil is by nature extremely rich 

 and fertile, 40 feet distance may be allowed, and 

 even 45 and 50 feet in some very extraordinary 

 situations ; for ere the trees become old, the ground 

 may be completely covered with their shade. If, 

 however, the soil is not very extraordinary, either 

 by nature, or so rendered by art, the distance would 

 bejfar too great ; for the trees would become old 

 and their growth finished, ere the ground could 

 be covered by tlieir shadow ; — 30 feet only may 

 therefore be allowed in hind usually termed of 

 good qiiality ; and about 20 to 25 in land of mid- 

 dling quality. 



The size to which an apple tree may attain, 

 and the ground which should be allotfcd to it, 

 depends also, in some measure, on the particular 

 variety of apple trees, some sorts being well known 

 to attain to size much greater than others. 



These observations are made to shew the inu- 

 tility of extending an orchard over a larger amount 

 of surface for the number of trees, than is abso- 

 lutely necessary ; — over ,1 larger extent, than from 

 the nature of the soil, they would be ever lik«ly 

 completely to occupy. 



That the apple tree is not a very long lived 

 tree, is sufiiciently evident from the jierishable na- 

 ture of its timber. Those species of trees only, 

 will continue living and growing for numerous 

 centuries, whose timber may be preserved incor- 

 ruptible during the lapse of a long succession of 

 ages. 



HANAGEMENT. 



If the j;ronnd intended for the orchard cannot 

 conveniently be wholly kept in a state of cultiva- 

 tion during the first years, which would be much 

 the best mode, a part 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 with 

 the horse plough ; and even the vegetables which 

 may here be raised, will amply repay all the ex- 

 pense and labor bestowed during the 4 or 5 first 

 years. After this, if the trees have grown well, 

 as they undoubtedly must have done, cultivation 

 at a distance in the intervals, becomes even more 

 importantthan within the limited distance of a very 

 few feet Irom the trunk of the tree. 



For on strict examination it will be found that 

 the small fibres or feeders of the roots, 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 pas 

 ture beyond the limits of its shade, and it now 

 becomes necessary that the whole ground 



