316 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



under cultivation for the first four or five years. Thus the 

 ground, being often stirred, is kept light, and the young roots 

 are thereby furnished more readily with air, moisture and nutri- 

 tious gases, and solutions of substances in the soil, by which 

 the trees are made to acquire a more rapid growth, assume a 

 more thrifty appearance, and become in all respects a better 

 type of what is known as " Young America," than is the case 

 when the land is laid down to grass. The difference is much 

 greater when the orchard stands on the side of a hill, for then 

 the refreshing showers of summer, instead of penetrating the 

 ground to invigorate the languishing roots, are turned off by the 

 hard soil, and wash into the valley below. 



Third, we desire to refer to a matter which is far too mvich 

 neglected by the farmer, and that is a constant care and atten- 

 tion to the proper training of the trees during their years of 

 infancy and childhood. Early fix in your mind the picture of a 

 perfect tree, in form and proportion, and begin immediately to 

 train every tree in your orchard to the standard of your beau 

 ideal. It will be impossible for you to make every one assume 

 the same type and degree of beauty, for trees, like children, 

 have their peculiar hereditary predispositions, which may not 

 be entirely overcome. But by a suitable watchfulness, every 

 tree can be securely guarded against any palpably vicious devel- 

 opment of limbs, which by their straggling character, and by 

 repeatedly crossing each other, form an almost impregnable 

 barrier to sunlight and air, thus materially lessening their future 

 usefulness as fruit bearers if left in this state, and vitally affect- 

 ing the health of the tree, if, as is often the case, the limbs are 

 cut away after they have attained a large size. 



In your leisure moments go forth into your young orchard 

 carefully observing every tree, and whenever you find a shoot 

 coming forth in an improper place, or assuming an improper 

 direction, take your knife and cut it away. Take care of 

 the little faults of your trees while they are young, and they 

 will have no great ones for you to correct, when they attain 

 maturity. 



We also wish to make a suggestion in relation to the feasibility 

 of increasing our present number of varieties of apples. It is a 

 practical question whether it is desirable to make the attempt. 

 It seems to us that mider the present system very many of our 



