No! 129.] 493 



oflensive. If an apple is cut across and placed in a moist situa- 

 tion for several days, the surface will become covered with 

 fungi, having an arborescent form resembling the mosses, consist- 

 ing of upright stalks surmounted by bulbs ; when the fungi 

 arrives at maturity the bulbs burst and scatters its contents, con- 

 sisting of small black seeds, lar and wide through the atmosphere 

 ready to fall on apples, bread, or any other substance in a condi- 

 tion to receive it. 



In preparing land for an orchard, I would plow previous to 

 winter to the depth of sixteen inches, followed with a subsoil 

 plow to the depth of sixteen inches more, and deeper if I could. 

 The land should remain in this rough state all winter to pulver- 

 ize the soil by the action of the frost; in the spring draw upon 

 it a prepared composition composed of muck, stable manure, 

 salt, charcoal dust, bone earth, ashes, soot, &c., at the rate of 

 forty loads, of thirty bushels to the load, to the acre ; spread the 

 same and plow it under, plant potatoes manured in the drill, 

 market them and sow turnips ; when they are taken oft" dig your 

 holes twenty feet apart, six feet in diameter, (square form,) place 

 composition in the bottom, cover it with surface soil, plant your 

 tree, spreading all the roots fan shape by hand, and fill all the 

 interstices with pulverized earthy after which pursue the mode 

 recommended for peach tree planting ; till the ground annually 

 with potatoes, corn or cabbages; manure every other year; keep 

 the trees well trimmed and staked, wash the trunks annually 

 with soft soap ; when the branches of the trees meet, cut out, or 

 plant out, every other tree, which will leave your orchard forty 

 feet apart, the proper distance for an apple orchard of large trees. 

 All limbs crossing each other should, from time to time, be taken 

 out with a long handled chisel and mallet that the centre of the 

 tree may be thrown open to the sun and air. Suckers must be 

 cut off, or thumb pruned in July when they are particularly ten- 

 der, and if the tree becomes bark bound, which will rarely happen 

 with this treatment, split the bark with a sharp knife through to 

 the inner wood, from the surface of the ground as high as a man 

 can reach with an out-stretched arm. Cattle, horses or sheep 

 must never be allowed access to the orchard; ii<3gs will d® no 



