50 THE APPLE. 



founding of the seeker after a knowledge relative to " what varieties 

 to plant." 



The pecuniary profits of the orchard, especially of apples, is well 

 understood, and no one, who has land in any way suitable, now hesi- 

 tates to plant. We have no certain data, but think we do not over- 

 state when we say, that, besides large quantities imported from East- 

 ern States, there are propagated and planted annually over 6,000,000 

 trees in the States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wiscon- 

 sin. The Western country is already producing by millions of 

 bushels, and her " orchards," so to speak, are not yet planted. 'Such 

 is the value placed on fruit, such the rapid increase of people in 

 cities, that no one should be at all deterred from continued planting ; 

 for, we have not only the wants of increased population of our own 

 land to supply, but that of foreign countries. Already our fruits are 

 sent to England and other distant shores, and eagerly sought for and 

 purchased, at what would here be termed high prices. Although the 

 Newtown pippin, as sent from the Pell orchard, on the Hudson river, 

 has done much toward establishing our reputation abroad, we antici- 

 pate an advance in good favor, when the same variety grown on our 

 Southern Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois soils, shall be shown ; 

 for certainly they are, like all our Western growths, when compared 

 with those of the East, far superior in size. 



The duration of the apple when worked and grown on a healthy 

 seedling stock, was regarded by Mr. Knight, of celebrity in horticul- 

 ture, at 200 years ; yet trees are recorded as being over 1,000 years 

 old, and in annual healthy fruiting condition. So also Mr. Knight 

 regarded "many varieties" as in his time "already* on the decline," 

 which Coxe, in his " View of Fruit Trees" published in 1817, says 

 " grow and appear more healthy than any variety in the orchard." 

 Trees of over 200 years are known, in this country, to be healthy 

 and yearly producing their abundance of fine fair fruit. 



The puberty or fruit-bearing age of the apple tree varies accord- 

 ing to variety, climate, and cultivation. In the rich deep soils, and 

 under the clear sun of our Western States, most varieties come into 

 bearing at about eight years from the bud ; or about four or five 

 years from planting out. We speak here only of the cultivated va- 

 rieties. Wild seedlings would probably require from twelve to fif- 

 teen years. 



Propagation — J5y seeds. These should be selected, if intended for 

 stocks, from native seedling trees of strong, vigorous, healthy growth. 

 The common practice is to visit a cider mill in the months of October- 

 or November, and take therefrom indiscriminately such as first come 

 to hand ; but he w4io desires to grow fine healthy trees had much 

 better purchase the apples from such trees as we describe, and, if he 

 choose, take them to the press himself The seed should be entirely 

 separated from the pumice or pulp, although much of it will grow 



