Apples in Connecticut. 365 



think that if they plant a few trees, and give them a little attention and 

 care, for a few years, till grown to fruiting size, they have done all that 

 is required. " My father grew apples without half as much care as I 

 have given my trees, and had them in plenty, and if I can't grow them 

 so, let them go." This is the import of, if not their exact words. 



Different soils vary in composition and capacity ; so also vary the 

 requirements of different varieties of apples. The soil that will furnish 

 all the requirements of a certain variety, to the production of abundant 

 fruit, may be inadequate in some respect for a different variety, under 

 the same care, etc. 



That our improved varieties can be made profitable with the same 

 care awarded by our fathers to their orchards of natural, extremely 

 hardy fruit trees and fruit, is simply impossible ; and the sooner our 

 people act upon this fact, the sooner we shall master the science of apple 

 culture. Varieties must be selected, for planting, that are adapted to 

 the climate and soil ; and these must be we// planted, in soil well drained, 

 either naturally or artificially, and of at least moderate fertility, and 

 kept cultivated till they come to bearing size : shallow culture only 

 should be adopted where the roots extend, no matter how deep other- 

 where, and no exhausting crops of grain or other kind should be 

 allowed in the orchai'd. Trees should be set far enough apart so that 

 their limbs may never reach each other. 



. When the trees attain the bearing size, the orchard may be laid down 

 to clover, and pastured to sheep or hogs ; no other stock should be 

 allowed the range of an orchard. The soil should be kept rich by top- 

 dressing with mineral, rather than animal manures, and the turf loose ; 

 encourage the roots to run near the sui-face, as from the surface they 

 receive the better and more immediate influence of fertilizers applied, 

 heat from the sun, and moisture from rains, etc. 



The location of an orchard is an important consideration. The 

 aspect should be rather a north-eastern, with a gentle slope, than any 

 other, as this is found the best, so far as the writer has observed. 



An orchard about twenty years planted, consisting of a number of 

 varieties of our improved apples, is called to mind, which seldom, if 

 ever, has failed since coming into bearing, is planted at the summit of 

 a rise of ground descending both east and west ; the orchard is on the 

 portion descending to the east ; the descent is quite gradual to low, moist 

 soil traversed by a small stream of water. The soil is a gravelly loam, 

 underlaid with a porous, gravel subsoil. Trees are planted some two 

 rods apart in the rows, and rows four to five rods apart. The ground 

 has for a large part of the time been cultivated to a variety of farm 



