128 



THE CANADIAN HORTICrLTURTPT. 



sun, or those wliicli interfere with the 

 <,n-ovvth of others. Summer pruning 

 tends to lessen the vigour of a tree." 



From the fact that I have every year 

 cut off a large quantity of wood, when 

 all of the above remarks indicate that 

 very few trees require much pruning 

 when fairly started, I begin to tliink I 

 have over-pruned, losing time, working 

 to the detriment of my trees, and 

 ])0ssibly of the fruit. Whether or not 

 it may have been the cause of the scab 

 l)eing worse on my orcliard than on 

 su.rrounding ones, I am not prepared to 

 say ; perhaps our Editor or some of our 

 readeis will favor us with their opinion. 

 Another idea strikes me. May not 

 over-cultivation have something to do 

 with it. The following I think I got 

 from the Rural New Yorker : 



"Two fruit-growers once procured the 

 same variety of pears, from the same 

 nursei'y, and planted the trees at the 

 same time They were cultivated, how- 

 ever, quite differently. One of the 

 growers yearly cultivated in his orchard 

 garden crops, witli occasionally corn, 

 applying liberal dressings of manure, 

 under which treatment the trees grew 

 rapidly, and not only improved in ap- 

 l)earance and color, but bore early and 

 gave large yields. His neighbor did 

 not use his orchard for any other pur- 

 pose than the growing of grass, which 

 was occasionally mowed, plowed and 

 seeded to grass again. The orchard 

 that was kept in grass has on it to-day 

 trees that are only half the size of those 

 in the orchard that was cultivated with 

 hoed crops. It has never borne as 

 well, nor has it equalled it in appeai-- 

 ance. The blight, however, has nearly 

 destroyed the orchard that looked the 

 most promising, while the slow growing 

 trees are as sound as when first set out, 

 althougli both orchards are very near 

 each other. The pear orchard that gave 

 its owner such heavy yields is nearly 

 destroyed, but the other seems likely 



to last several years, not a tree being 

 affected with the blight." 



Just as that first man did with his 

 pear trees I did with my a|)ples, and 

 under high cultivation my orchard grew 

 to be the admiration of the neighbor- 

 hood. As the Editor tells us of his 

 " Rowan Tree," 



" There was nae sic bnnnie trees 

 In a' the couutrie side," 



But after bearing heavily for a few 

 years, they were, and are to-day, ruined 

 with the scab. 



A part of this very same orchard I 

 sold some years ago, and its new owner, 

 very much I thought to the detriment 

 of the trees, seeded it down to grass, 

 but the results have been in favor of 

 non-cultivation, the fruit since gathered 

 on the portion seeded down has not been 

 nearl}'^ so much affected with the scab 

 as the cultivated part. 



But we are getting tired of the sub- 

 ject ; we'll jump the fence, and without 

 fear of our Editor being exalted above 

 measure, add another word of congi'a- 

 tuhition to the many at the success of 

 our little monthly. 



He (Friend Beadle) comes out again 

 in his usual happy style. Who would 

 have thought he could bring so much 

 of the beautiful and sentimental out of 

 the old Snow Ball 1 But it's in him to 

 cherish thoughts of sweet long, Ion;/ ago, 

 and such touching remembrances give 

 to his letters an interest that will speak 

 long after his pen has ce/ised to write. 

 May which day be in the very far 

 future. 



The index to contents on the last 

 page of the number is a decided im- 

 provement. 



It is encouraging to find so many of 

 oui- members giving us the results of 

 their experience. More might do so 

 with benefit to themselves and us. He 

 who makes two blades of grass grow 

 where one did before is a public bene- 



