I'fiUIXTKEES. 37 



in the nursery ; two rods each way ; never set a tree that is not thrifty ; 

 mulching is good ; manure them in the fall with compost — dig it in, in the 

 spring, when the apple trees are in blossom, and put ashes and charcoal 

 around the trees — this is the best time to prune and wash the trees. Great 

 care should be taken not to prune too mucii in this climate. The limbs and 

 trunk should be shaded, when the tree is growing fast in August and Sep- 

 tember. When the tree is small, let it be shaded artificially. Let the 

 twigs grow on the limbs, when the tree is too small to bear fruit. It will 

 not injure the tree so much, as when fruit grows on the ends of the limbs. 

 Wash trees in ley, potash-water, or soda-water, which you please ; but take 

 great care not to have the wash too .strong. Tiio strength can be deter- 

 mined by observation ; if too strong, the bark will soon turn dark, and when 

 it is wet with rain, it will turn yellow. The wash should not turn the color 

 from the natural green. 



Select what fruit you please for your own use ; but, for profit, select such 

 as grow quick and bear well, and are wanted in market, especially such as 

 are adapted to this climate. 



NURSERIES. 



There were two competitors for premiums on Nurseries, Messrs. Warner 

 and Hunt of Sunderland. 



Jlr. Warner's nursery contains four hundred trees, all budded or grafted. 

 About one-half of thein are fit for transplanting. Seventy-five are only one 

 year from the bud, and some of them have grown five feet since budding. 



Mr. Hunt, also, has an excellent nursery, hardly inferior to Mr. Warner's. 

 Mr. Warner's trees are rather straighteV, and have had more attention than 

 Mr. Hunt's, nor have they been culled or broken in upon in the least. Mr. 

 Hunt's nursery is the continuation of one that has been culled. Both are 

 excellent nurseries, and the writer intends to select some trees from both, 

 next spring, for .a young orchard. 



RECLAIMED ORCHARD OP DANIEL BALLARD. 



This was the only entry for a premium on a " Reclaimed Orchard." Mr. 

 Ballard's orchard contains one hundred and twenty trees, standing on Wen- 

 doll land, which is a compound of knolls and rocks. He has reclaimed his 

 orchard by grafting. Every old tree has a new top, bearing tho sem- 

 blance of a tree, he having set more than four thousand grafts since 1845. 

 The orchard looks quite well, and contains some good varieties of very fair 

 fruit. His experiment shows what can be done for an old orchard by graft- 

 ing, and making new tops. We wish Mr. Ballard success, but advise him 

 to try his hand at trimming, pruning, and getting out rocks, and putting a 

 compost of ashes, muck and yard manure around his trees, in order to im- 

 prove both their appearance and health. 



