50 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



of two or more feet in length without an}' manuring at all, which, 

 however, is rarely the ease, then it will be needless to give heed in 

 that du-eclion. The annual growth is the best guide to treatment. 



Tiiere are but few apple orchards which, after reaching a good 

 bearing state, throw out annual shoots more than a foot or a foot 

 and a half long, and man}' not half this length. The owner of apple 

 trees may lay it down as a rule, that when his trees do not grow 

 one foot, or nearh' that, annuall}', they need more manuring. By 

 observation he can answer all questions of this kind without diffi- 

 culty. 



Ashes, leached or unleached, ai'e of great value to an orchard. 

 Autumn or early winter is a good time to manure an orchard. 

 Spread the manure over as much ground as the top covers, and do 

 not be afraid of putting on too much. A heavily bearing tree, or one 

 which it is desired to make productive of good fruit, must have some 

 food to produce it from ; and a young tree needs looking after as 

 much as a hill of corn, and should have in proportion to its size 

 about the same manuring ; and there is no crop that will pa}' better 

 for care and manuring than good, thrifty apple trees of the right 

 varieties. 



PRUNING. 



As to the best time of year to prune an orchard, much has been 

 said and written, and considerable difference of opinion and practice 

 prevails. According to my observation, I think that it can be most 

 successfully and properly done when the trees are free both from 

 fruit and leaves ; and all things considered, perhaps no time is 

 better adapted to this impoi-tant work than early spring, after the 

 frost is entirely out of the limbs. There is a tendency to over-prune 

 many times, especially those just commencing to bear fruit. There 

 is no practice that needs reform more than this one. There is no 

 quicker way of spoiling trees than by injudicious pi'uning. In 

 pruning fruit trees, do not make a cut till you think what it is for 

 and what will be the effect. When I first commenced the care of 

 apple trees, I thought that there must be sovie trimming done ; so I 

 went at it and pruned eight or ten trees that had been set about 

 thirty years. It was done, as I thought, in good shape. The 

 consequence was, two of the most thrifty ones died outright, 

 and they are all dead now but one. Trimming should be reduced 

 to a system. By beginning when the trees are young, and annually 

 going over the orchard, cutting out all suckers and crowded 



