122 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



sence of all horticultural decorations about dwel- 1 roots would admit of it, they were placed upon 

 ling houses generally uiroughoul the country, has ] the surface, without digging any holes, and the dirt 

 frequently been remarked by travellers and stran- 1 placed upon the roots — those set out in this way 



gers a national defect, and a glaring want of taste. 

 It is said, " that he who can make two spears of 

 grass grow where only one grew before, ought to 

 be considered as a public benefactor ;" and we 

 may add he that will induce our countrymen to 

 make gardens and plant trees, will be no less a 

 benefactor ; he will relievo us from a reproach, 

 and raise the value of the country, not only in the 



have invariably flourished the best, and have kept 

 their erect position quite as well as those set 

 deeper. 



No stones or rubbish were placed at the roots 

 of my trees when planted out. Every substance 

 that would be likely to ferment was carefully 

 avoided, as a slight degree of fermentation in any 

 thing placed in contact with the roots, would be 



estimation of all lovers of comfort and neatness, | apt to destroy the small fibrous roots, or prevent 



but also in price. — Pennsylvania GazMe.. 



The following remarks of Ma Phinney and Mr 

 Davis, aie in reply to the Queries proposed by 

 Mr Lowell, and inserted in the New England 

 Farmer, page IIG of the current volume: 



To Bekj. Gdild, Esq. 



The following reply to the inquiries of the 

 Hon. Mr. Lowell, and others of the Agricultural 

 Committee, relative to my orchard, is made by 

 your very respecii'ul and obedient servant, 



ELIAS PHINNEY. 



In 1833 I planted out ao.'i apple trees, in 1824, 

 150; and in 1825 and 1826, forty; making in all, 

 395, most of them in one enclosure. They con 



their shooting ; and thereby check the growth of 

 the tree. The life of trees will be more certain, 

 and their growth better promoted, by putting no- 

 thing at the roots, when first planted out, but the 

 vegetable mojld of a good virgin soil. The des- 

 cending roots &:. those which crossed or interfered ll have applied this wash once a year, 

 with others were cut off. The small fibrous routs labo'it the middle of .May. 



Nov. 9, 1827 



to prevent a free admission of the sun and air to 

 every part of the top. This i consider a very es- 

 sential part of pruning, as every precaution should 

 be taken while the tree is young and in vigorous 

 growth, to avoid the necessity and the risk of re- 

 moving large limbs when it shall have become old 

 and feeble. This mode of pruning keeps the cen- 

 tre and all the parts of the top sutBcieiilly open. 



I have never scraped or split the bark of my 

 trees. Soon after planting I noticed on a few of 

 them, small insects adhering close to the bark. — I 

 ;itteinpted to destroy theui by an application of 

 lime mi.xed with clay and some other substances, 

 be' without effect. I then applied a wa.'h made 

 b} lissnlving a pound of potash in four quarts of 

 water, which has entirely destroyed the insects, 

 and has kept the bark perfectly clear and smooth. 



enerally 



wore suffered to remain. These, however, when 

 they have become dry, either from exposure to 

 the sun or air, or from liaviug been a long time 

 out of the ground, should be taken off, for the ob- 

 vious reason that others will not put out so soon 

 when those, which are dead, are allowed to re- 



My trees have not been visited by borers, nor 

 any other insects, injuriously, except those above 

 elated ; nor with canker or black mould. The 

 best remedy for insects, canker and all the evils 

 and disorders, to which trees are subject, is, in 

 mv opinion, a healthy and vigorous growth, which 

 main. 'may always be secured by careful planting, good 



The land upon which my orchard is sot, as I ; tillage, and judicious pruning, 

 before stated, was ploughed for the first lime, in I ELIAS PHINNEY. 



the fall of 1821, — since that time, it has been in I Lexington, ISf/i Oct. 1827. 

 ist of Baldwins Roxbury Russets, and Rhode j ^j^^^g . j,joyg,, ^g fjUg;] ^^,ith roots and stones j Middleskx, ss. Octoier 12, 1827; Then the 

 Island Greenings, with a lew Porters. The i'is-|j[j.^t u^g ^q^u i^g done by tillage for the two aforesaid Elias Phinney made oath to the truth of 

 tance each way between the trees, is about two ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^.^^ gg^^,pj ^^i^^ barley the last! the aforegoing statement. 



rods. They were all grafted or buded in the nur 

 sery, the latter promise to be belter trees than tho 

 fonner. I consider budding preferable lo grafting. 

 The wound occasioned by the process of budding 

 heals sooner, and the trunk is more perfect. The 

 ground upon which I planted my orchard was en- 

 tirely new, having been ploughed, for the first time, 

 in the fall of 1821. It had been for many years over- 

 run with a large and thick growth of shrub oaks, 

 and whortleberry bushes, and some small pitch 

 pines. It was originally covered with a pretty 

 heavy growth of oak and walnut trees, which had 

 been cut off about thirty years before. From that 

 time, till 1821, it had been used for a pasture, 

 though a single cow could hardly have found sup 



spring, and about the first of September the stub 

 ble was turned in, and the land sowed down to| 

 grass, except a space of about si.'C feet in diameter 

 round each tree; which, as heretofore, is to be 

 hoed and kept clear of weeds and grass. By keep- 

 ing tho surface of the earth about my trees loose 

 and clear from weeds and grass, they have never 

 apparently suffered the slightest check in their 

 growth in the driest seasons. Late in the fall of 

 each year, I have had put round the roots of ray 

 trees, a small quantity of compost, made of rotten 

 lime, bones, and some coarse ashes. This manure 

 j after remaining about the roots for the winter, is 

 i mostly removed in the spring and thrown at a 



Before me, 



W.'u. Gordon, 



Justice ufthe Peace. 



Benj. Guild, Esq. — In compliance with the re- 

 quest of the Hon Mr Lowell, I make the follow- 

 ing replies to you, respecting the general man- 

 agement of my apple orchard in this town. 



1. I planted out from the nursery in April 1819, 

 one hundred and twenty-five apple trees, and in 

 the spung of 1823, about thirty more. 



2. They consist of Baldwins, Greenings, Rus- 

 se'inge, and Spitzenburgh, about one quarter of 

 each kind, excepting fifteen, which were import- 

 ed from France. 



3. They were purchased (excepting the above 



I distance from the trees. The hoeing commences ,. ^ . __ ^ ,- , „ 



port in the whole lot. The soil is generally a ] ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^,gg,]3 appear, and is continued as { fifteer.) of Mr John Kenrick of Newton, and Mr 

 light, nchjoam, upon a gravelly, and, '" some ! ^j.^^^ ^^ j^ is necessary to keep them down . nd : Enoch Baldwin, of Milton, and were budded or 



the ground loose. jengrofted by them. 



The subject of pruning is one next in importance | 4. They were generally planted in land broken 



parts, a ledgy bottoin. The orchard is on the de 

 clivity of a hill, having a south and southeast ex 



p»sure. Most of my trees were taken ffom the } ^^ ^j^^^ ^f. ^ ^^^^^ ^^Ui^^ji^j^ pf j,,g goil jn .,,hich Lp for the first time, which had been a rough, 

 nursery in November,^ the roots place^d in trenclH j^^gg ^re planted. I commence pruning as soon stoney pasture, and covered with small trees and 



bushes of various kinds, which had been offered 

 for sale at twenty-five dollars the acre. 



5. They were planted a little deeper than when 

 grow.ng in the nurseries, and tho best soil was 



es, and covered witu dirt until the following 1 ^^ ^j^^ ,g^^gg p,,^ ^^^ ^f^g^ planting. By pruning 

 spring. This was done to avoid the necessity ot ! ^^^^^ ^.^^^ ^^^^^ ^y^,, j^t.^^ j^ ^^^gj^ ^^^ the in- 

 setting them out before the ground had become ■ -^^^ gj^^^j^ ^C ^^^^ pruning are avoided. The 



warm and dry. If left in th« nursery till spring .^^^^^^^ occasioned is small and heals over very ^.„ ^ ..,., ... 



they are seldom or never taken up until the sap ; ^^^^^ j j^^^^ invariably pruned my trees while put a: the bottom of the holes, and the holes du, 

 has begun to flow. When removed after this i^^^ ^^p j^ A^^.j^^ ^„3j j-^ggly^ ^^^ the growth the kr-re. The rows were planted fortv feet, and the 



trees in the rows, fifty feet distance from each 

 other, 

 6. The ground has been in grass for six years. 



takesplace, the check occasioned by the removal, '^g^t -^^ ^^ich is usually about the first of 



it not tatal to the tree, often injures its future lj^_^g . .^,^^ ,„ ^^^g^j ^.^^g^ covered the wound with 



growth. The best time to take "P trees, is un- | ^ ^^^j^ture of lime, and clay, with a port.m of hair 



question. My, when the sap is least active. If | ^^g^ked in, to prevent its cracking and falling off but hjs always been kept open about the trees, by 



taken up late in autumn, and the roots secured, g jhis method, the wound occasioned by taking I di<Tg:ng every year, and one year I planted pota- 



from the sun and air, they may be kept with per- ^^^ j^^^^^^ ^f „„t ^g^g th^n half an inch in dia- toes around them. 



meter, heals completely over the first season. I 1 7. They have been freely pruned every year io 

 take ofl'all branches which at the time of pruning the month of May, and generally cut from the 

 interfere, or seem likely, from their direction centre of the tree. 



hereafter lo interfere with others ; and all such g. They have been manured every autumn, with 

 others as are required, in order to give the top an a compost, consisting of bullocks' feet, bones, ma- 

 equal balance. rine shells, tan yard and street manure ; and the 

 In the next place, I take off such branches, as first year 1 had the piths of cx horns driven doWB 

 seem likely when they shall have become large aboul them. 



feet safety untill the middle of May, and planted 

 <)ut at this time with proper care, and as near the 

 surface as possible, vegetation commences almost 

 instantaneously ; they will not require to be sup- 

 ported by stakes, and will grow nearly as much 

 the first, as in any future year. 



I planted my trees aa near the jsurface of the 

 ground aa possible. la soma instances, where the 



