FRUITS. 131 



whose fruit presented unusual merit, their method of culture, 

 and have to thank most of them for careful and elaborate re- 

 plies, the substance of which we have endeavored to embody in 

 this report. 



Apples. — Within the past year statements have been made 

 uj^MDu very high authority, that apple culture in Massachusetts 

 was becoming uncertain and unprofitable, owing to the superi- 

 ority of Western apples. 



The Western orchards are all young, and young trees if prop- 

 erly cultivated, uniformly produce the handsomest fruit. An- 

 other advantage which the Western cultivator enjoys is the 

 absence of old orchards. Probably there are more decaying 

 and half dead apple trees in this county than in the two States 

 of Indiana and Illinois. 



These same old trees are more than " cumberers of the earth." 

 They harbor and propagate all manner of evil insects, but have 

 not sap enough to support them, and are therefore compelled to 

 colonize them upon their more vigorous neighbors. This is one 

 serious drawback upon Eastern culture, and we believe the sub- 

 ject of removing old orchards to be equal in importance to that 

 of planting new. 



A distinguishing feature in the Western tree, is its open top 

 and smooth limbs, which are longer and straighter than ours. 

 The buds are further apart and fruit-spurs are not so numerous. 

 For this reason the tree is not over-loaded with fruit at the 

 start, as our trees uniformly are in bearing years. 



We think this is a valuable habit in the Western tree, and 

 that it can be imitated in our own by proper pruning. If a 

 limb of three inches in diameter is carefully sawn from a tree 

 in any season, it will never heal w/?, though it may heal over ; 

 it will prove a permanent injury, and sooner or later will kill 

 the tree. When a saw or an axe is used in an orchard, it 

 should be applied close to the ground. A pocket knife is the 

 only pruning instrument admissible, and the proper season for 

 pruning is whenever a limb is seen out of place. The form of 

 the tree, and position and number of the main limbs, can be 

 determined when the tree is three years old ; tliin the boughs 

 and twigs afterwards as required, and remove all limbs growing 

 towards tlie centre as fast as they appear. 



