552 WISCONSIN PRIJIT-GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The year after planting the “Tecumseh” I began to take from 
the trunk^the outer bark in rings, one or two inches wide. In 
about four years I had gone over all the trunk, and some of 
the larger limbs; in August I bound the tree with straw, which 
I removedfin the following spring; in the summer I kept the 
strongest shoots pinched in. The tree is now perfectly sound 
and healthy. 
I have a great many kinds of pears, but have fruited but 
few. I think that with care they will do well. The native 
thorn promises well a3 a stock for dwarfing the pear. The 
shad-blow of our woods.will do very well for this purpose. 
I am raising seedlings of grapes, plums, pears, strawberries, 
&c., and shall think myself well repaid for my trouble if I suc¬ 
ceed in a single new variety of superior merit. 
Yours, truly, 
Wm. B. Ransom. 
A. G. Hanford, Esq. 
GUI TING THE BARK OF APPLE TREES. 
BY JOHN STRAIGHT, OF NEOSHO, WIS. 
My apple trees bloomed full last spring, 1858. When the fruit 
was quite small it commenced falling off, and I thought I should 
lose all. In June I cut the bark lengthwise of the trees on the 
sides, the entire length of the trunk, and some of the largest 
limbs; no more fruit fell after that. I know of no other rea¬ 
son why my trees should have so many more apples than my 
neighbors’. 
I find great advantage from mulching trees at time of planting. 
Of seven hundred trees set out in the spring of 1859, lost but 
two or three, the rest made a fine growth—ascribe my success 
to mulching. 
