The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-30

take turning plow, two or three horses,
and plow ont the rows in the fallowed land :,
running two or three times in the same fur
row, at from thirty to thirty-fve feet dis
tance; then cross in like manner; then
scrape back the mellow soil little from
the cross, and spade out about bushel of
the clay and fill in until nearly full with
mellow soil, shaping to suit the roots of
the plant. Set in the plant, Strengthening
out the roots to their natural position,
working the fine dirt we'll in about the
starting out of the roots, being careful to
have the plant when the earth settles no
deeper than it grew in the nursery. Trees
thus planted require no stalking, which
would be 9 disadvantage, aside from the
labor it would require. Keep the soil mel
low and loose about them as you would
about corn, adding little surface manure
of almost any kind, working it in occasion
ally; and, be assured you will gather fruit
there in very few years. Prune thorough
ly for the first four or FIVE years by thin
ming out the heads of the trees, by cutting out
all crowded and crossing branches; shape
to the form of a pyramid by preserving
main leader, and cutting back all rambling
side branches. This may be performed at
any time that you may be passing, and
with no greater weapon than pocket-knife
and by pinching with the forefnger and
thumb. A little judgment and experience
will soon enable the fruit-grower to under
stand this performance. What kinds to
cultivate is perhaps the most puzzling ques-
ton (even to the experienced orchardist) in
the whole matter, although there are hun
dreds of kinds of apples of high reputation
in certain localities, described and figured
in the catalogues of nurserymen, and re-
commended for general cultivation. 1t does
not hold good that any kind of apple that
has succeeded in some particular local
ity will suit at all the soil and climate of
another; for instance, experience teaches
US that almost all northern apples of high
reputation-that is, those kinds that have
had their origin in the North-are COM
paratively worthless when cultivated as far
south as Virginia. There are only few
kinds of summer and fall apples from the
North that have done well with us. Their
finest winter apples are not to be relied
upon at all as late keepers here. Their
winter apples become fall apples here, and
their fall apples become late summer ap-
Piles, and their summer apples ripen much
earlier here than there. The Early Joe,"
rom the State of New York, is a summer
spple of superior excellence here. The
:" Mother" apple, from massachusetts,, is n
delightful fall fruit here, and some of their
winter apples-such as Northern Spy"
King of Tompkin's City "-are fine fall
fruit here; and there are some foreign
varieties-for instance, "Red Astrachan,"
"Yellow Belfeur," &c. which have
proved TO be very good here.
Climate, soil, and situation exert p
mighty influence not only over the apple
alone, but every other species of fruit. This
is very apparent to any careful observer IL
any neighborhood, even here in this fine
fruit-growing section of country. For in
stance, the Albemarle Pippin," trans
planted outside of its natural home, a good,
rich mountain loan and elevated position,
is not worth cultivating; and on the con-
trary, the Wine Sap" and many other
kinds thrive best on lest elevated places and
in soil of different description. Almost
every neighborhood in this favored section
mas one or more fine natural kinds which
have sprung up from seed, and it is upon
these that we must build our hopes, espe-
cially for late keepers and we are happy
to say that we have some natural produc-
tons that far excel in form, color, and high
flavor anything that we have seen that came
from the North or from Europe.
As | said that the apple was the great
fruit of all fruits, the 'Pilot Apple,'
natural Seeding of Nelson county, Va, il
the great apple of all apples in our ac-
uuaintance. The tree is q magnifcen,
grower, apparently as hardy as an oak.
The fruit is large, handsomely formed, and
of the finest flavor, both for the dessert and
for cooking. But to close this article, al
ready long, will name few kinds that
have proved best with us, and will name
them in order as they ripen Striped July,
Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, large Vel
low Bough, American Summer Peermain.
Fall Pippin, Annate Apple, Fall Cheese,
Yellow Bellfeur, Mother Apple, Vandevere
of New York, King of Tompkin's City,
Northern Spy, Baule's Janet, Pilot Apple,
Albemarle Pippin, Wine Sap, Timber Twig,
Father Abraham, and Blacks Hardtimes.
J. D.
P. P.S.-As to the best time to transplant,
| would say any time that the ground is in
good working order from the fall Of the leaf
to the putting forth Of the buds, damp
day to be preferred. }. d.