THE APPLE 45 



the following season all the trees that lost their fruit 

 in 1884 bore the heaviest crop that was ever known 

 in 1885. 



The bearing year may be changed: 



1. By removing a part or all of the fruit the bear- 

 ing year soon after it is set. One operation is often 

 successful if thoroughly done, but sometimes must be 

 repeated. This should be practiced upon young trees 

 until the habit desired has become fixed* 



2. By manuring the land the bearing year with 

 bone and potash or bone and wood ashes, which has a 

 tendency to increase the vigor of the trees and to the 

 formation of fruit buds; or by using nitrogenous ma- 

 nures, like stable manure, nitrate of soda, etc., the 

 unfruitful year, which will produce a large growth of 

 wood at the expense of the fruit buds. 



3. Seeding the land to grass the bearing year 

 might produce the same result, but there would be 

 danger that the crop of fruit and the crop of grass 

 on the land the same year might result in too great 

 a check upon the growth of the trees. 



4. Plowing the orchard the unfruitful year and 

 cultivating thoroughly the bearing year would also tend 

 to produce the desired change. 



5. Changing of the bearing year by canker worms 

 destroying the blossoms, by the use of torch to destroy 

 the blossoms, or a frost destroying the fruit after it 

 has set, while they may bring the desired change, cannot 

 be recommended, because of the direct injury to the 

 trees, and in the business of fruit growing it is desirable 

 to economize the strength of the trees as much as pos- 

 sible if continued good results are expected. 



EEGRAFTING OLD TREES 



TTpon most of our farms, especially in the older 

 portions of the country, may be found healthy, vigorous 



