On Fruit and Fruit Trees. 85 



I observe that such trees only bear fruit every other 

 ye^ and then generally more full and heavily loaded, 

 than the natural strength or substance of the tree can 

 bring to full size and maturity ; and such trees when so 

 heavily loaded, are subject to split and break down in 

 storms. 



The next year the orchard if ever so large, produces 

 very little fruit ; — the trees appear to be exhausted, and 

 on the decline ; — too great a load of apples also inclines 

 them to the bitter-rot and other defects. 



I have found it by experience to be a much better 

 way, to let my trees grow in the nursery and plant them 

 out as natural fruit ; — then when they begin to bear, 

 I go round in the Ml and mark such as I disapprove of 

 the fruit, and graft them in the limbs the next spring ; 

 and such are the best and most steady bearing trees that 

 I have : they produce a reasonable equal quantity of ap- 

 ples every year, and much larger and fairer than such 

 trees of the same kind of apple, that irregularly bear 

 every other year. 



Another advantage by this mode is, that we are still 

 obtaining some new valuable kinds of apples, and when 

 we graft them regularly in the nursery, perhaps often 

 cut off as good or better fruit than we place on. 



All our very best kinds of grafted fruits were origi- 

 nally natural^ and perhaps if this mode was more gene- 

 rally pursued, many more new and valuable kinds would 

 be discovered. 



Perhaps one of the very finest and most useful apples 

 that we now have, is the New England seek no further 

 (so called;) tlie original tree I am informed, grew up in 



