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Among the leading varieties of autumn and early winter fruits grown are the 

 Duchess of 01denbur<rh, Early Harvest, Eed Astrachan, Emperor, Fameuse, St. Law- 

 rence. As an autumn fiuit, with us, the Duchess stands in the from rank, and when 

 grown in orchards, where the trees are planted sufficiently far apart to admit the 

 sun's bright rays, command a ready market at fair-paying prices. It is one of our 

 most prolific and early bearers. The Bed Astrachan is not nearly so extensively 

 cultivated, but is a good fruit with us and commands ready sale. The Kmperor has 

 probably seen its palmy days in the St. John market, where, possibly, from its 

 immense size and beautiful appearance, more than for its quality, it had a fine sale 

 for a few years. Buyers now pass it by to a very large extent. As an early winter 

 apple the Fameuse has no superior. The great drawback to its extended cultivation 

 is its tendency to scab, and 1 shall be very much gratified indeed if, in the experience 

 of any gentleman present, we may be able to learn a remedy. So far as my own 

 experience goes 1 may say that the liberal application of wood ashes has proved very 

 beneficial, but by no means a complete remedy. 



In the cultivation of winter fruit I have succeeded well with the Eugset, North- 

 ern Spy, Bishop's Pippin, Ehode Island Greening and Tolman Sweet. The trees of 

 these varieties are perfectly hardy and have proven good bearers. My methods of 

 cultivation may not be in accord with that of gentlemen present, but as an old " saw " 

 has it : " In a multitude of councillors there is safety I" I will venture to give it, hop.'ng 

 that by the friend iy criticisms it may evoke, to learn of its errors, and how in the future 

 a better method may be adopted. In planting out a young orchard I would insist 

 upon having the land in a good state of cultivation to start with. After planting the 

 trees would seed down to timothy and clover, after the first year, taking care that 

 every year, for at least five, the soil about the trees to be thoroughly worked with a 

 spading fork for say 3 feet fiom the tree, and sufficient manure added to give the 

 young tree a good, strong, healthy growth, but not to encourage an overgrowth. -My 

 reason for preferring the fork to the plough and cultivator is to prevent the marring 

 of the tree in any way, which it is almost impossible to prevent by their use. A young 

 tree with its bark torn off, if even to a small extent, is badly handicapped in the 

 race for life and productiveness. Cared for in this way, and proper attention to prun- 

 ing. I find no difficulty to make plenty of wood growth and preserve the tree in 

 proper shape and condition to fruit heavily. After the trees have come nicely into 

 bearing I have not thought it absolutely essential to continue the cultivation about 

 them every year, and have, as rule, kept the whole orchard in grass, top dressing 

 liberally, as well to increase the yield of hay as the yield of fruit. 



In the matter of pruning and the proper time to pi-une there is such a diversity 

 of opinion among the best orchardists that I shall scarcely venture an opinion ; but 

 by your permission will state my practice : Beginning with the young tree, there is 

 never very much difficulty in forming it in any desired shape. My preference is 

 for a medium low tree, and I therefore encourage the branches to spread as much a.s 

 possible, when the limbs are raised sufficiently high to enable the cultivating process 

 to be conveniently done. I avoid, as far as possible, the cutting of any large branch, 

 believing it to be everyway better if the branch needs removing to do so when it is 

 small. If the tree, during its growth, makes too much foliage in the centre, I pre- 

 fer to prune the main branches to cutting them off. There does not seem to be 

 any difficulty to secure the healing of a small wound, while a larger cutting always 

 remains a wound, and often a dangerous one to the life of the tree. When the small 

 branches only are removed we have experienced no bad lesults, if done between the 

 1st of April and the 1st of June. However, I am open to conviction, and shall be 

 glad to have the experience of others present on the subject. "With our ti-ees in bearing 

 our thoughts very naturally turn on the subject of marketing the fruit, and as this 

 part of my subject is fraught with the deepest interest to both the producer and the 

 consumer, I trust I may be pardoned a few plain words in reference to it. The 

 orchardist, with his fruit carefully gathered, has now passed the lines which strictly 

 apply to cultivation and production ; his work in that line is completed the very 

 moment his fruit is nicely cared for in the fruit house. He then assumes (and very 



