I 
. ^ [ iv ] 
Every seed, though many be taken from a single apple, will af¬ 
ford a new and distinct variety, which will generally be found to 
bear some resemblance to each of its parents. Examples of this 
are presented in the Grange apple and Downton pippin, and in the 
Foxley apple and Siberian Harvey. 
After varieties are thus formed, the operator has still to wait 
long before he can estimate the success of his labours. A seedling 
pear-tree does not often bear fruit till it is ten, and sometimes not 
till it is sixteen or eighteen years old; but a seedling apple-tree 
will generally produce fruit at six or seven years old, and some¬ 
times even at four, when either of its parents has been the Siberian 
crab. The success of the experiment is also still uncertain; many 
of the new varieties will be worthless; and where the fruits are 
good the trees will often prove unproductive, or defective in health 
and vigour; and the planter must think himself fortunate if, under 
the best management, fifty seeds afford a single fine variety for the 
press; though many will probably be above mediocrity. 
Many different methods of raising and preserving orchards are 
practised ; but the following is that which I can best recommend. 
Let a soil of good quality be selected for a nursery, which should 
be trenched eighteen inches deep, and planted with seedling ciab 
or pear stocks of one year old, each plant being placed at the dis¬ 
tance of six feet from others. These will be fit for grafting at two 
years old; and an acre of ground, thus planted, will contain about 
1500 trees, and consequently enough to plant about forty acres, 
where each tree stands at twelve yards distance from others. A 
nursery thus planted, when the trees are seven or eight years old 
from the seed, will form a more productive orchard than can be 
obtained by any other means with which I am acquainted; and 
during the earlier periods of the growth of the trees, they will be 
rather benefited than injured if the ground be planted with pota¬ 
toes, or other low-growing crops, with proper manure. During 
