298 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



"It will be seen that in this experiment the ac- 

 counts nearly balanced at the end or the first year. 

 With careful handling this netting will last ten years 

 or more ; so that the question will it pay to use 

 it? will depend largely upon circumstances. Judg- 

 ing from our own experience the past season, where, 

 in . testing varieties of fruits, it becomes absolutely 

 necessary that the fruit should remain on the tree 

 until fully ripe, there seems to be no question about 

 the expediency of covering the trees." 



Top -graft ing bearing trees.* One of the important 

 factors in the secondary care of an apple orchard 

 is the grafting over of old trees or of worthless 

 varieties. It is often asked if it will pay to graft 

 trees after they are fifteen or twenty years old. 

 The answer depends entirely upon how profitable the 

 trees are in their present condition. If they are 

 bringing in no return, then nothing can be lost if 

 they are grafted ; and if the trees are strong and 

 healthy, there is no reason why much should not be 

 gained. If the operation of top -grafting is properly 

 done, the trees ought to be completely changed over 

 to a new variety in three or four years. It should 

 be said, however, that the careful fruit-grower will 

 find out whether his trees are to be profitable or 

 not long before they reach the age of fifteen years. 

 Trees which have arrived at that age before the 

 owner has found out whether they are useful or 

 not, are those which advertise an indifference or 



*For advice respecting the top-working of youug trees, see pages 2IM, 235. 



