FRUIT-CULTURE. 93 



The Drap cl'Or is a very abundant bearer, the others quite 

 good. The Lyscom and Kilham Hill are of little value, 

 except for table, and are not profitable for market. The 

 Pickman Pippin is considered the best cooking apple in the 

 market, by those who know it. It is veiy tart, high flavored, 

 fine grained, and of good size ; it keeps until February. The 

 trees come into bearing late, but bear pretty well after they 

 begin. The Drap d'Or is a very large fall apple, tart, but 

 excellent for eating as well as cooking. It keeps well until 

 the middle of November. The trees come into bearing young, 

 and bear very heavily. As the trees grow older, the apples 

 do not grow quite so large. 



I will add the following remarks as the result of my 

 observation : Trees not in an orchard seldom bear. Trees 

 that do not bear good apples are worse than useless. There 

 are only a few varieties that pay. It is better to raise only 

 those varieties that do pay. Where there are only a few 

 trees of a kind, there are not enough of that kind of apples 

 raised to pay for marketing, consequently they are often 

 wasted. An apple that is unknown in the market is hard to 

 sell. Neglected trees are of no use. 



Statement of J. B. Marston of Danvers. 



I have grown in my garden a few apple-trees of about fif- 

 teen years' growth. I have but four different kinds. The 

 soil is well fertilized. The subsoil is loam. With regard to 

 the treatment of young trees, I believe in thorough tilling of 

 the soil, and keeping the ground light about the roots, and 

 free from weeds. To fertilize the soil, I use a compost of 

 animal manure and decayed vegetation, together with a lib- 

 eral share of superphosphate of lime and wood ashes. This 

 is applied to the land in planting time, in the hills and rows, 

 with a portion around the trees, dug in with a fork. My 

 plan of preparing the manure is to fork over the compost- 

 heap in early spring, adding by degrees the superphosphate 

 and ashes, until the whole is well mixed. Then leaving it 

 awhile to ferment and heat through, it becomes in good con- 

 dition for use. 



It is of the first importance, in my opinion, in the cultiva- 



