CULTURE OF APPLE TREES. ^\ 



present, to give some account of such as are new, and by 

 what culture they have been produced in such perfection, I 

 cannot but attempt it, though very inadequate to the task, 

 for almost every hour of my life has been employed in fol- 

 lowing the instructions of others, and when I have deviated 

 from them, with a view to improvement, I have seldom been 

 able to write down the result of my experiments with any 

 satisfaction to myself. 



Beside the sorts of apples lately exhibited, the garden Apple trees 



of Isaac Swainson, esq., my indulgent master, contains a ^*^°"^'^ "°^, 



' ^ ' J " stand too close, 



number of others, which are less valuable. When I mention nor their 

 that I am cutting these away as the better trees advance, and branches betoo 

 thinning the branches of the latter also as they require it, I 

 perhaps tell all that is to be told upon the subject ; for I 

 have found nothing of more consequence to the health of 

 the apple tree than plenty of light and air. The instructionr 

 of the late Mr. Philip Miller, on this head, are so pointed, 

 and I see so many apple trees smothered either by their own 

 branches or those of other trees, that I cannot do better than 

 quote his words. After directing the standard trees to be Large ones 



planted at the distance of 40 feet every way, and the dwarfs ^^°"'f '''".^^«. 

 ^ J J^ feet, dwarfs 20 



at that of 20 feet, he says, " I am aware how many enemies I feet distant. 



shall raise by retrenching the great demand, which must of ne- 

 cessity be made in the several nurseries of England, if this 

 practice be adopted, but as 1 deliver my sentiments freely on 

 every article, aiming at nothing more than the information 

 of my readers, so I hope there will be found none of my 

 profession of such mercenary tempers, as to condemn me for 

 telling the truth, though it may not always agree with their 

 interests."" 



I feel no fear in referring to this great gardener's work, be- Maybepfented 



cause all the principal nurserymen, who now supply the pub- <=^ose, to be 

 ,. . , . .^. ' , "^ ,. I,-. ,• thinnedasthey 



lie in the vicinity of London, are men ot too much liberality gjQ^, 



to recommend a less distance, than the above ; and in the 



present opulent state of this country, the original price of 



the trees is comparatively so trifling, that if any one plants 



double the number which ought to remain, he will be repaid 



more than a hundred fold in the few years that the alternate 



trees are suffered to stand. This is a practice, therefore, - 



E 2 which 



