800 TRAXSACTlOyS OF THE AmKRICAS INSTITUTE. 



enough of this stones were drawn for the occasion, and answered 

 equall}' well. This mulching was scattered over the ground, away 

 from the trees, at the approach of winter, as security against mice. 

 Daring these six years, in early spring or in February, one-half of 

 the last year's growth was cut oft', in accordance with the A. J. 

 Downing theory, thus making low and beautiful heads. Most of the 

 land in this orchard was of good quality, but some was poor, yellow 

 sand. Yet, the result was the finest and healthiest trees I ever saw, 

 as a whole. The bodies of them being only three feet long, they soon 

 became so shaded by their tops as to secnre them from the ill effects 

 of the burning midday sun, and were covered with a thin, curly, 

 scaly bark, that gave them the appearance of " shag-bark walnut ;^ 

 and yet, under that rough, protecting bark Avas the most smooth, 

 green bark I ever saw. 



At the same time of making the apple orchard, I transplanted 

 about 1,000 sugar-maple trees, four years from the seed. These were 

 clipped to the length of four feet, and headed in, as were the apple 

 trees, for four years, and mulched, and otherwise treated in the same 

 way. 



Now, mark this : The ground about those apple and maple trees 

 has never been plowed since their planting, but for the first 15 years 

 a heavy burden of hay was annually taken from it. Since then the 

 trees have so shaded the land as to prevent much grass from growing 

 oti it. Those trees, apple and maple, are now standing in the town 

 of Mentz, Cayuga county, N. Y., and a gentleman from the city of 

 Xew York, visiting me in the fall of 1864, when the orchard was 

 loaded down with the finest of apples, nine-tenths of which were 

 being picked with ease and pleasure from the ground, declared it was 

 worth going a thousand miles to see. The maple trees have a whiter 

 bark and larger leaves than I ever saw elsewhere. My own opinion 

 is, after sixty years' experience, that the best way to guard against the 

 ravages of insects ' is to feed the soil well. Fat cattle are seldom 

 lousy. 



Raising Tomatoes for Family Use. 

 Mr. G. A. Mcllvaine, of Mount Pleasant, Pa., forwarded the sub- 

 joined account of his practice : First, to prepare the ground, I dig a 

 trench about two feet wide and say, ten inches deep, throwing the 

 soil to one side ; then get into this trench and dig another ten inches 

 deep, mixing in plenty of well rotted stable manure; then throw 



