76 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



What had been the culture of those trees we are not informed. 

 But we may safely assume that it was not a slip-shod method of 

 starvation which enabled them to demonstrate the possible achieve- 

 ments of their several kinds. 



Like Produces Like. 



Now, in reference to the cases cited it is to be observed, that 

 these trees are in no sense accidents. They are the products of 

 natural causes. Like causes produce like effects. And if we 

 wish to produce trees which will yield eight, twelve, fourteen or 

 twenty-three barrels of merchantable apples, we must learn the 

 art from these teachings of nature. These extraordinary trees, 

 which have been particularly described, all had certain conditions 

 alike ; they all had open ground around them. In all cases, either 

 their roots had access to a constant supply of nutriment in medium 

 quantity from casual sources, or direct applications of manure to 

 the soil were made from year to year, and from one cause or an- 

 other the trees had a well fed youth, as well as continuous supply 

 during their subsequent years. And in all the cases the soil had 

 been at some time worked. In the case of the Sarah, it is prob- 

 able that its roots sport at large in the artificial soil between the 

 house and itself, and that it thence derives much of its support 

 and vigor ; and roots an inch in diameter descend to and enter 

 the bottom of the cellar, seven yards distant. They are there 

 seeking the nitre, which always gathers in the earth under build- 

 ings where there is no water to wash it away. 



It will perhaps be said that although these trees are not acci- 

 dents, they are yet extremes, and that it is not possible to bring a 

 whole orchard up to that degree of productive capacity. Perhaps 

 so, but a medium result affords inducement enough, and to show 

 what can well be done, three cases, lately reported, may be cited. 



The Case Illustrated by Recent Examples. 



The American Rural Home, as quoted by the N. Y. Tribune, 

 reports a visit to the orchard of Mr. B. B. Conable, near Warsaw 

 village. It contains just one acre and yields annually from 100 

 to 200 barrels of merchantable apples. The trees are large and 

 trimmed high and kept free from sprouts. The ground has been for 

 many years in grass, but has received annual dressings of barn yard 

 manure. The New York apple-barrel is two bushels and a half. . 



