75 
“ I planted, in both places, some native stocks brought from the woods, 
into which I grafted when setting them out in the spring. These never 
showed the least signs of disease, are now the largest of my trees, and 
are full of blossom buds. I think they will be exceedingly hardy as I 
have not lost by any disease whatever, a single tree from the thousand 
grafts in native stocks. 
“ I have seen, in the Town of Merton, a plum orchard, of fifty or sixty 
trees, that were planted in 1846 or 1847. The trees were of different 
varieties, brought from Rochester, N. Y. They were well managed for 
three or four years, but since that time, the farm passing into different 
hands, they have been neglected, and nearly all are now completely 
covered with the black knot. Some of them are dead, while others of 
the living are so covered with the knot that the limbs hang down from 
the weight. 
“ But two exhibit no signs of the disease, and of what variety they 
are I cannot say, as I have never seen fruit on them. These two trees 
are twice as large as any of the others, and generally blossom, but the 
fruit is cut off, probably by the curculio. 
“ Some object to my practice of grafting in the top, alleging that the 
tops will grow much more rapidly than the stocks, and thus be liable to 
break down. This I prevent by slitting the bark and heading in the 
long shoots in the spring ; and if the crop of fruit is greater than the 
limbs can sustain, I tie each branch to the one opposite with basswood or 
hickory bark, thus obviating all danger of their splitting down. This I 
do in June, after the curculio season. In the spring I head in the top to 
balance the tree, and if it inclines a little I slit the bark of the hollowing 
side, giving a vent to the sap, and thus accelerating the growth of that 
side. If the tree is not balanced to my satisfaction by this course, I at¬ 
tach, by a piece of bark, a weight of stone or wood to a limb already 
fastened as above to one opposite. This will allow the tree to sway in 
the wind, and in one or two years it will be perfectly straight. 
“The advantages of my practice are, that the trees bear fruit the 
•second year; that they can be set between apple or pear trees in the 
orchard, until the latter require all the space, and that they bear every 
year unless the fruit is cut off by very late frosts, which can be prevented 
by mulching in the winter. 
