192 APPLE TREE. 



consiclerabie size is grafted, only a part of the bmnche* 

 must be cut away at a time, to prevent it from being" 

 injured. When grafts have acquired some inches in 

 length, it may be well to rub off all the buds which 

 have pushed out below them on the stem, and perhapf 

 a few of those which have appeared above them, and if 

 the gratts themselves put out any latteral shoots, spare 

 them till the succeeding year, when you are called to 

 re-graft such as have failed. In pastures v/here apple 

 trees are scattered about, it is best to graft them with 

 sweet apples, which will injure the cows less than such 

 as are sour ; and large sweetings will not be so likely 

 to choak them as smaller apples. 



Engrafted af>ple trees sometimes bear fruit w^hen two 

 or three years old ; but if this premature produce he 

 permitted, the prolific powers will be greatly impaired. 

 If, therefore, the blossoms appear abundant, the fruit 

 should be taken off as soon as formed, leaving only four 

 or five to ascertain the kind. By permitting trees to 

 bear too plentifully when young, they are more apt, it 

 is said, to be alternate bearers. 



The choicest kinds of fruit must be selected for mak- 

 ing the best cider. Trees may be found which will 

 bear excellent fruit for this purpose, and which, when 

 grown to good size, will each yield, yearly, from twen- 

 ty to thirty bushels, or more ; which is perhaps five 

 times the quantity that the common sort of such tr^.es 

 usually bear. This is surely a sufficient inducement to 

 search for the most valuable fruit-trees, when about to 

 collect scions to engraft trees for an orchard, instead of 

 planting in the common way, 



Soil^ Situation and Aspect. With respect to soil, it 

 should be of a deep loamy nature, neither too wet or 

 heavy, nor too light or dry. The sub-soil has a power- 

 ful influence on the health and prosperity of trees. If 

 this be rock, or what is called hard pan, (whatever be 

 the surface,) the tree and its fruits are mucb deteri- 

 orated — nor will the remedy sometimes resorted to of 

 cutting off the tap-root, and having the tree to subsist 

 by those wliich are merely latteral, be sufficient. 



Good cultivation, and a system of high manuring, will 

 always remunerate the proprietor of an orchard, ex- 

 cept it be planted on a qiiick-sand, or a cold-clay ; in 

 such soils, no mana^^ement can prevent an early decay. 



