SECRETARY'S REPORT. 179 



The Northern Spy generally grows very upright, naturally, and 

 with long, slender branches ; but if you do not trim that the 

 branches will come to the ground when full of fruit. The 

 apple which we call the Hunt Russet is another of tlie same 

 kind. It is a good apple, of medium size, oblong, and narrow- 

 ing toward the eye. It is much like the Northern Spy, and 

 should be pruned pretty high. 



I am well aware that it is much more convenient to pick 

 apples standing on the ground, as a man can pick three times as 

 fast from the ground as when standing in the tree, or on a 

 ladder. When planting the trees, I take pains to place the 

 earth carefully around the roots with my hands. It is of no use 

 for a man to think of farming if he is afraid of the dirt. If he 

 is a little squeamish about dirtying his hands, I would recom- 

 mend to him to try some other occupation. I would set the 

 tree in the ground just about as deep as it grew in the nursery. 

 But if I had taken the tree from a dry soil, where the roots had 

 penetrated deep, I would plant a little deeper than it grew 

 originally. I do not like wet soil for a tree of any kind. Water 

 must not stand about the roots of trees. 



The Baldwin is a free grower, and a little liable to winter- 

 kill, especially if forced to grow late in autumn. When I have 

 removed Baldwin trees to a rich soil I have often lost them. 

 Other varieties are more hardy. The Blue Pearmain is as diffi- 

 cult to kill as a thorn bush. In the nursery, that kind of tree 

 throws it roots deeper and in a different form from any other 

 tree. The roots are numerous, and close around the tree, quite 

 different in that respect from other trees. 



I press the earth gently about the roots ; and I would not 

 stake a tree unless absolutely necessary. I would rather lay a 

 little mulch down, and put some flat stones on that. If planted 

 in autumn, I would raise the ridge of earth aroiuid the roots so 

 as to keep the tree steady, and in the spring spread the earth 

 away. There is no difficulty in raising an orchard, under such 

 circumstances, or in making it profitable. On some farms I 

 would not recommend any attempt to raise an orchard, because 

 the land is not suitable, though every man should try to raise a 

 few. A warm sandy soil is unsuitable for the apple, in my opinion. 

 On Townsend Plains, the people haVe tried to raise apples, but 



