mass of desired roots. These trees were very carefully dug from 

 our nursery so as to preserve as many and much of their lower roots 

 as possible. In setting, especial pains was taken to save and place 

 these roots in as near their natural position as possible, pinning the 

 soil in and around the roots and guarding against setting deeper 

 than when the trees stood in the nursery. The roots that were 

 broken or mutilated in digging were smoothly cut back sloping the 

 cut from the under side of the roots so as to guard against decay of 

 the roots. About a pint of finely ground bone was mixed in the 

 soil as the tree was set. The side branches were trimmed back to 

 within two or three eyes of the main stalk — that is the lower side 

 branches — the top side branches being cut back clear to the main 

 stalk, and the centre stalk cut off two and one-half or three feet from 

 the ground. These trees have received no other cultivation than that 

 given to flowers in and among which for the larger part they have 

 grown. They have made a remarkably vigorous, healthy and well 

 matured growth. The peach trees were set the last part of April and 

 the first days in May, not losing a tree. The bulk of the trees set in 

 this orchard are the Elberlat which we deem the most profitable 

 market variety we have as yet tested. 



A. B. Howard & Son. 



The Apple trees, thirty in number, which we enter in competition 

 for the premium offered by your society form part of an orchard of 

 nearly 75 apple trees and nearly 400 peach trees, set spring of 

 1900. These trees were set 33x36 feet apart with peach trees 11x18 

 feet apart between them. The method of setting the apple trees was 

 the same as that pursued in planting the peach trees, with the dif- 

 ference that we added several forkfuls of old, thoroughly decom- 

 posed stable manure to the soil that we applied in and around the 

 roots when setting. The trees were two years old from the bud 

 which we deem preferable to those older. The branches were cut 

 back to within 4 to 8 inches of the previous year's growth, having 

 due regard for the future shape of the tree. These trees have made 

 a most satisfactory growth. The varieties set are mainly Baldwin, 

 Southern Beauty, and a Seedling which ripen directly after the Grav- 

 enstein and which good judges consider a worthy successor in sea- 

 son and in quality to that choice variety. 



A. B, Howard & Son. 



