52 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



win, Fameuse, Red Canada, Twenty Ounce, Talman Sweet, and a 

 dozen or fifteen other sorts; to nearly all of which descriptions 

 and comparative notes are appended — most of them highly com- 

 mendatory in tone, and very judicious and candid in statement. 

 Of the sweet apples the Garden says : ' Some of the apples sent 

 belong to the division which American growers term sweet, and are 

 the first samples we have tasted of these.' Of the Talman Sweet 

 it remarks : ' The fruit is pale yellow, so sweet that one would 

 hardly recognize it as an apple.' There is no doubt that many of 

 our own fall and winter apples possess keeping qualities superior 

 to the English sorts, of a corresponding season — and it would be 

 no surprise to us if the export trade of apples to Great Britain 

 from this country should assume large proportions within a few 

 years." 



Now as it is obvious that we must soon send much of our fruit 

 to foreign markets, or get sniall prices for it at home (if we suc- 

 ceed in raising it, as we hope to do), there are many conditions 

 to be taken into account. The fruit should be large, well selected 

 as to size, symmetrical in form, fine flavored, and well colored, — 

 as the cost of transportation on such fruit would be no more than 

 on inferior fruit. The manner of picking and packing, also the 

 size and style of the barrels, should be considered as well. 



Pruning, 



There has been much said and written on this subject by differ- 

 ent persons, with regard to their experience as to the proper time 

 to prune fruit trees. One says : " The only proper time to prune 

 trees is the month of June, as my trees always do well pruned 

 at that time." Yet another would prune only on the full of the 

 moon in August; another only on the increase of the moon in 

 November; another only on pleasant, warm days in mid-winter; 

 another on the decrease of the moon in March and April ; each 

 assigning as a reason the fact Ihal they always do well. Now from 

 these chaotic, superstitious theories or premises, I deduce the fol- 

 lowing positive truth, viz : that the best time to prune is any month 

 or any time that the knife and saw are sharp, provided the condi- 

 tion of the trees will allow of it. First, before pruning, have your 

 trees in good growing condition, to enable them to grow thick 

 layers of wood to cover the wounds made in pruning. Second, 

 prune only in a sunny, dry atmosphere, that the pores of the bark 

 (that contains that mysterious life-principle of the tree) may im- 



