Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 545 



mulcli li.as been spread for a few years, and it will be seen that the 

 ground is literally full of roots near the surfoce. Let fertile earth be 

 deposited round about a young tree, a foot or more in depth, and in 

 a few years the entire layer of earth will be filled with a mat of roots. 



When a small lad I well remember that my father removed a young 

 apple tree, with a ball of frozen earth, in the winter, and dropped the 

 ball with the tree in a large hole that had already been prepared 

 before the ground was frozen. It so happened that the tree was 

 planted several inches deeper than the coronal roots originally grew. 

 The consequence was that this tree barely survived for several years, 

 although it was an English streak tree, which, in that locality, is a 

 prolific bearer and very hardy. A system of coronal roots was imme- 

 diately thrown out near the surface of the ground, and after a few 

 seasons, as soon as the coronal roots had filled the surface soil round 

 about the tree, the branches were loaded with large and fine apples^ 

 and that tree is a great bearer to the present time. 



In 1843, the writer ordered a lot of fmit trees from a nursery, at 

 Flushing, L. I., when he was swindled in a provoking manner with a. 

 lot of inferior trees, at an extortionate price, which were set too deep.. 

 The branches grew very little for several years. But as soon as a- 

 system of coronal roots had been formed near the surface of the. ground 

 those trees grew rapidly. 



A few years ago the mice girdled a young, apple tree more than two 

 feet from the ground. A broad mound of mellow earth was formed, 

 around that tree, extending above the wound.. A system of secondary 

 roots was immediately thrown out of the body of that tree just beneath, 

 the surface of the mound. 



We may, if we will, derive a profitable lesson from these facts, 

 touching the propriety, or impropriety of plowing orchards after tlia 

 surface of the soil round about the bearing trees has been filled with 

 rootlets. The coronal roots, in some instances, will supply such plant- 

 food and fruit producing material as the radicles, which extend deep 

 into the subsoil, cannot take up. Removing most of the coronal roots, 

 .with a plow will sometimes injure, temporarily, the productiveness- of 

 any fruit tree. 



Potatoes and their Cdltuee. 



Mr. S. Wilbur, Fairport, Monroe county^ N". Y. — I take the libert j 

 to send forward a few thoughts in regard to potato growing, best 

 varieties, etc., etc. I notice that there were some new varieties; 



[Inst.] 35 



