Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-01-05
Correspondence-
ChampIain Valley Nurseries.
v,xoosKI. VT, North Of BurlingtonD
December S0th, 1868.

John Dencer, Esq, Of Eden, ana f'""
Gro,cers of Lamoille County,
You write to me to answer your ques-
tions relating to our vermont fruit
Trees" / welcome these questions WIN
much pleasure. You say--"Many people
here think that the only way to make APP
ple trees live in this comfy, Is to grai'
into seedlings raised here"
I venture to affirm, no frult-grower VINO
has spent his life among fruits and fruit
trees, can ever believe that to be the only
way. That is one way, readily concede.
This grating can be done at the collar OF
the tree, when it is small, for that Is the
best way to graft if done at all; or as has
most commonly been the custom IN OLD
orchards, the tops can be changed by
grating therein. But this IS very expcn-
sive and tedious method. People gener-
allv prefer cheaper and better way =
that is to graft or bud the whole stock at
once. And | here assert what all expe-
rienccd fruit growers well know to be
true three fourths Of all the seeding
trees are tender, in the stock above the
ground and in their tops or Branches
For proof of this, look into, the orchards
all over the North. Seeding apple trees
for the most part cannot endure our intense
and severe winters. So they surrender
and perish, while few of the hardest
and most robust will live. The majority
will die. And we cannot trust to ordin
airy seedlings. prefer crab-apple stock
For these reasons Il have budded anc
grated en- about sixty thousand of thu
latter. The hardy crab stock exerts
good influence and force on the variety
worked thereon. now SOW crrab apple
seed entirely, for foundation to build m.
grated and budded trees on.
They think that even your trees vii
die out in few years"
4 Most likely they will if starved out ant
killed by neglect. And who will den.
but this is the fate of very many tree
planted out in Vermont. Twill not prais
my own trees. rather they would sho1
for themselves. do not claim they ar
perfect. We are earnestly at work tryin
to progress. But since you challenge in
vestigation, l will open to you few plat
truths.
} My trees are not gratis set on pieces Q
roots, as millions of western and souther
trees have been grated, and sent over tn
country to die of Consumption, They ar
, always, in every instance, budded @
grated on the whole or entire stock-a
every tree should be.-They have nal
e aral foundation and collar. To illustrate
suppose get fifty or more workmen int
room, and take the stock of a quantit
,, of trees, and cut the roots into fraction;
= r---~s"- ts'.O 5f"ru vaon, as HIS Deen III
custom with the whip-stock trees sent owe
the country. And this is done by a,
tempting to unite the bark of scio
: grown in the open air and sunshine, wit
the bark of a root gro,on under grounc
? Now the two are dissimilar and unnatural
, and will not form the right affinity an
union. They can, with excessive feedin
and high culture, be forced up into rapi
grown trees with immature wood bu
, when planted out into colder latitude
and common soils, they for the most part
, show disease or die outright.
Bud or graft the whole stock near tn
collar. Let us grow our trees with branch
es, 50 as to have many roots; and | thin
a tree more healthy with well formed 10,
branches. DO not plant trees in grain o
grass; but feed, cultivate and stir the soil
as you would to grow the choicest produc
of earth.
Now call to mind that the people il
northern or central Vermont are residen
in high latitude and cold northern eli
mate; and when the physical geograph,
is rightly understood, we must know tina
apples adapted to be grown at New Y ork
Philadelphia, or even at Boston on tn,
sea-coast, are not all of them suited 70,
culture here in Vermont, and therefor,
are unwelcome guests in our soil and eli.
mate.
Knowing these truths, | have for Sc.
ries of years (for | have been resident
here twenty-four years., put several hun.
dred varieties of apples, pears, grapes &c,
on trial, by planting out from two to three
trees of each kind, gathered from many
sources. The object being to test all the
sorts so as to prove, by series of years
and exposure to our winters and thus to
know the tender variety from the hardy
and extra hardy BY this we can show
to any observer what summer, fall and
winter varieties will bid defiance 10 the