ORCHARDS. 87 



to keep the ground moist; but I removed it in the fall for fear 

 of mice, and put compost manure instead, to support the trees 

 and keep the soil warm during the winter, spreading it upon 

 the land in the spring. I have washed the trees with potash 

 water once, one pound of potash to a pailful of water. I think 

 too frequent washing not good for the trees. I have trimmed 

 the tree3 thus far in the months of May and June. I never 

 was troubled much by borers or caterpillars. The trees are 

 mostly Baldwins, and were two years from the bud when set 

 out. 



Maulboro', September, 1S54. 



I 



Statement of William Buckminster. 



My trees are of the Baldwin variety, and were set in the 

 spring of 1852, three hundred in number, on about three acres 

 of land. I set my apple trees twenty-live feet asunder, and 

 keep the soil tilled while the trees are young. 



When the trees were set, two years ago, they were all 

 mulched with straw and poor hay. This mulching around 

 the trunks three feet each way kept the soil moist and light 

 for the young roots to take hold and extend themselves, check- 

 ing the evaporation of the hot summer days, and supporting 

 the trees sufficiently without being tied to a stake. 



I placed flat stones on the straw, &c, to keep the same in 

 place through the summer, and before winter I banked up many 

 of the trees, burying the straw so deep as to keep away the 

 mice. When I did not bury the mulching, I scraped it away 

 before winter so that the mice could form no nests about them. 

 I prefer banking up before winter to removing the mulching, as 

 it supports the tree, and assists in forming a light mould in the 

 spring, to be spread out in May. 



In regard to trimming, you will see that I have left many 

 limbs till this time which are now to be trimmed. I choose to 

 have an abundance of limbs and leaves in summer, in case the 

 tree is well rooted ; for, the more healthy limbs and leaves you 

 have, the more will the trunk of the tree increase through the 

 summer season. But now the limbs will extend no more this 



