78 STATE POMOLOGTCAL SOCIETY. 



to yield a g-ood crop of corn, is doubtless in best condition for the 

 infant plantation. Frequent supplies of manure must be added in 

 quantity sufficient to produce a constant growth. The young' 

 shoots must be strong and luxuriant, but the growth must not be 

 80 rank that it fails to ripen perfectly before winter. The new 

 shoots and twigs must perfect their terminal buds every autumn 

 so eai'lythat the tree will ordinarily cast its leaves on the approach 

 of freezing weather. If the cultivator finds the growth is so lux- 

 uriant that the wood does not mature and harden, he mjist stay 

 his hand. He must remove the tender and damaged wood in 

 March, and appl}'' no more manure until he again finds the termi- 

 nal buds annually perfected. Then renew the applications in 

 judicious quantity. And in all rich orchard lands, cultivation after 

 mid-summer should be avoided. 



The Supply of Manure for the Orchard Considered. 



This brings us face to face with the question of the supply of 

 manure for the orchard. And as this essay does not afford space 

 fur a discussion as to the most fit manures for the orchard, it may 

 be said in short that the materials and the sources whence they 

 are to be drawn, and the ways and means, are the same as those 

 for other uses of the farm. But while these sources are constant- 

 ly open to the opulent, to the common farmer the means of acqui- 

 sition is the difficult problem. The capitalist who would plant an 

 orchard has only to consider in what suitable kinds of manure he 

 can make the most profitable investment. But to the common 

 farmer of small means, of limited credit, who shrinks with dread 

 from contracting debts to be charged upon the fruits of future 

 industry and enterprize, encounters the formidable question how 

 he can make the outlay necessary to procure the manure required 

 to sustain the orchard until the returns of fruit come in, without 

 diminishing the supply for his annual crops. After fruit appears 

 all is easy. The storehouses of the world open their doors at the 

 touch of gold ; and the grown tree affords an important amount 

 of manure in its annual product of leaves. But in the mean time 

 he must have his annual crops to meet his annual wants And 

 the planting of an orchard is an investment of capital for future 

 profit. 



To provide a surplus of manure, therefore, above the ordinary 

 results of the common operations of the farm, by methods which 



