58 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



near together we have gone to an excess in the other direction — 

 have put our trees too far apart. I think if we put our trees 30 

 feet apart, with one in the center of each square, they will afford 

 better protection to each other from the heat or cold, and especial- 

 ly so in hard seasons, than if planted at greater distances apart ; 

 and it will be many years before trees so planted will interfere 

 with each other. Trees like the Tetofsky, which is a rank and up- 

 right grower, will bear to be put nearer together than those like 

 the Duchess of Oldenburg, which has a tendency to grow down- 

 ward. The Tetofsky will do better with its main limbs starting 

 from the trunk at two feet from the ground, than the Duchess at 

 four or even five. 



As to kinds, I think the Northern Spy, in our section of the 

 State (the north and east), has not been a success. I know one 

 orchard, of perhaps fifty trees, entirely of this variety. It did 

 pretty well with high cultivation, until it was somewhat neglected. 

 It is now a failure. 



Rev. J. A. Varney of North Vassalboro'. The paper which 

 Mr Smith has given us is a valuable one, and for the most part I 

 agree with him, though on some points I am obliged to differ, I 

 have been guilty of spoiling small trees as well as large ones, by 

 pruning from March to June, and I would not recommend cutting 

 trees in either of those or the intervening months. I have experi- 

 mented on a small scale in cutting nursery trees during those 

 months, and have found that it has almost invariably injured them. 

 . In regard to burying up the trunk of a tree — I don't know but 

 it might answer to put some substances permanently around the 

 trunk, but I should want to tr}'^ it on a small scale at first. 



A tree at four years old is about worthless in my opinion if it 

 has never been transplanted. But if it has been taken up the first 

 or second year, its tap root cut, and the opportunity given for 

 other roots to start, you may remove it successfully. As to the 

 fibrous roots that may be on a tree brought from a distant State 

 here, I consider them entirely worthless. Their value is very 

 soon gone after they have been taken out of the ground, no matter 

 where the tree was taken from. 



One other thing — that is in regard to raising wood and fruit. I 

 understood the position taken in the paper to be, that if you would 

 have a rank growth of wood you might do so, but if you would 

 have early bearing you could secure it by top and root pruning. 

 Now I think there are certain varieties that you can treat so as to 



