50 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



exposed situations, mulched to some extent, a thing, by the 

 way, well worth doing in all cases, especially with young trees. 



These things, together with clearing the trees thoroughly of 

 caterpillars, when occasion required, and a little pruning, con- 

 stitute about all the care and attention they have received. 

 I have not aimed or desired to force the growth of the trees, 

 and with the soil such as it was, and the comparatively slight 

 manuring that has been bestowed upon them, the growth they 

 have made has been, in the main, to me quite satisfactory. 



The pruning that has been done to the trees has consisted in 

 cutting out shoots when too thick or interfering, and in the 

 spring, heading back such as were too luxuriant, or straggling, 

 or where the habit of growth of the tree is too aspiring ; the 

 aim being always to keep the trees well doivn, alike for con- 

 venience and for their own security, and to preserve the heads 

 handsomely proportioned and well balanced and open to admit 

 freely the light and the air. 



My orchard is made up of the following varieties : winter — 

 Baldwins, 17 ; common apples, 5 ; Roxbury Russets, 4 ; R. I. 

 Greenings, 3; Esopus Spitzenberg, Tompkins County King, 

 Peck's Pleasant, and Hubbardston Nonsuch, 2 each ; Mother 

 Apple, Wagener, Yellow Belle-Fleur, and Seek-no-further, 1 each ; 



fall Gravenstein, 2 ; Foundling, Red Astrachan, Gordon Royal, 



Williams' Favorite and Sops-of-wine, 1 each ; sweet — Ladies' 

 Sweeting, Danvers Winter Sweet, Jersey Sweeting, Autumn 

 Sweet Bough, and Early Sweet Bough, 1 each. 



The admission of so many kinds in so small a collection may 

 not, perhaps, be readily vindicated, in a purely prudential point 

 of view. Were one rearing an orchard for the sole purpose of 

 raising fruit for the market, he would, doubtless, best consult 

 his interest by having all or nearly all his trees Baldwins, that 

 being an apple of approved quality and always saleable, and 

 being the tree which hereabouts is, on the whole, unrivalled as 

 a bearer. Still, this one kind does not meet the demands of all 

 seasons ; besides that, some variety is always desirable. One 

 wovild scarcely, but from necessity, be without some good fall 

 apple, like the Gravenstein or Foundling, or the Roxbury Rus- 

 set or its equivalent, for the latter part of winter and spring, or 

 good sweet apples for both autumn and winter. A person, 

 therefore, who is planting an orchard from which he designs to 



