48 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



tliaii in previous years, throwing out shoots from thirty-five to 

 forty inclies. 



In 1865 the boulders and small stones were again removed 

 from the field, being sufficient to make fifteen rods of wall, and 

 about thirty loads of compost applied to the field, made from 

 muck, decayed wood, three loads of horse manure and three 

 loads leached ashes, and planted with potatoes, corn and white 

 beans ; thus the whole field has been under cultivation with 

 some hoed crop since first transplanted, and should continue to 

 be so cultivated for the next ten years. The question now 

 arises whether it is more profitable to transplant large or small 

 trees ; it is certain, thus far, that tlie small trees have made, 

 comparatively, the greater amount of wood. 



In the opinion of very good judges of orchards, the larger 

 trees will come into bearing at least one year sooner than the 

 others. Should that be the fact, it is economy to set trees of 

 older growth than two years from the bud. 



Ephraim Graham. 



Statement of Charles Mason. 



The apple orchard offered by me for a premium consists of 

 fifty-three trees, of which twelve were set out the latter part of 

 April, 1862, thirty-seven about the 20th of May, 1863, and six 

 in May, 1864. 



Of the trees, twenty-seven were raised by myself, and twenty- 

 six, all of them but one set in 1863, were procured from a 

 nursery. Of these latter I am obliged to say they were not of 

 the choicest, being such as I could get, rather than such as I 

 would have had. 



Of the trees raised by myself, nine were set in 1862, when a 

 year old from the bud, most of the others at two years old. 

 The age of the nursery trees I cannot state positively, but sup- 

 pose them to have been three years from the bud when set. 

 The advantage, however, which they had, in point of age, was 

 fully compensated by the more careful treatment which my trees 

 had previously received, and by their liaving been taken up 

 properly and transferred while the roots were fresh, to the 

 places where they were to stand. My largest trees, except two 

 which are somewhat older, are those which were set in 1862, 

 when one year from the bud, some of which measure nine 



