FRUIT-CULTURE. 85 



Harvest, Red Astrachan, Porter, Gravenstein, Fall Harvey, 

 Minister, Hubbardston, Baldwin, Greening and Hunt Russet. 

 I will not speak of the peculiarities of any except the Gar- 

 den Apple. This apple seems to be but little known, yet I 

 knew it when a boy, but, like the Hunt Russet, it was kept 

 in obscurity. I believe I was the first to introduce the Hunt 

 Russet into the nursery. In its season the Garden Apple is 

 the best for culinary purposes, growing very large and fair, 

 and a great bearer. They come early into use, and last until 

 Thanksgiving. It is highly worthy of cultivation, aud should 

 be encouraged by our Society. 



Statement of George W. Taylor of West Peabody. 



I have some three hundred apple-trees on my premises, 

 of which there are about thirty varieties. My soil is a deep 

 loam, rather rocky, with many large bowlders. The subsoil 

 is a gravelly loam, which is underlaid by a pan of clay gravel 

 that is almost as hard as the stone itself. A smart blow 

 with the pick cannot penetrate it more than an inch or so. 

 My land is not very apt to suffer much from drought. I have 

 not been in the habit of applying any special manures to my 

 orchard or among the isolated trees that are scattered over 

 my farm. 



When I plough up the ground among the trees, I usually 

 plant some crop, such as corn, corn-fodder or potatoes, for a 

 year or two, then lay it down to grass. All the manure my 

 apple-trees ever get is applied when my land is under the 

 plough. Before leaving this portion of the subject, I will add 

 my word in favor of mulching among trees. Too much, in 

 my opinion, cannot be said in favor of the practice, and no 

 work in the orchard will repay the owner so large a percent- 

 age on time and expense. Any old rubbish that is always 

 accumulating about a farm will answer, yet we prefer old hay 

 or weeds. Any of the following substances might be em- 

 ployed for this purpose : potato-vines, cornstalks, wood-wax 

 or old tan, and I have known the pomace from the cider- 

 press to succeed admirably. One of my neighbors has used 

 this for several years as a mulch, and I have noticed that his 

 apple crop has been much improved, both as to size and quan- 



