dled up in our sweet little home. I wish you would let me go
and visit them sometime this summer. Now if you have no objection I will
take a little nap.--Frisky.

Top-Working.

O. W. MOORE, VETERAN HORTICULTURIST, SPRING VALLEY.

From my experience in fruit growing I have come to the conclusion that
the best method to apply in starting a commercial orchard in this
section of country would be to gather apple seed from Duchess and
Hibernal apples and plant them, in order that we might grow hardy
seedling roots to be used in making root-grafts. After growing these
apple seedlings one year I would graft short pieces of their roots to
long Hibernal scions, plant them out in the nursery row and grow them
the first year as a whip or single shoot. The second year before growth
starts in the spring I would cut those whips back to the height where I
wanted to start the head of the tree. After growth starts rub off all
the buds except from four to six at the top, these being left to form
the head of the tree. The trunk of the tree below these buds should be
kept clear of all growth at all times.

By this method we get uniform trees, as the heads, or tops, are all of
an equal distance from the ground and all run very nearly the same size.
Now we have those trees two years old in the nursery row, and as a
foundation for hardiness we have done our best. We have taken seed from
our hardiest apples to grow our seedling roots; we have grafted Hibernal
scions onto those roots, which is supposed to be the hardiest apple wood
that we have. Still there is one point that has not been touched upon,
and that is, that it is not to be supposed that all of those seedling
roots from the seed of our hardiest apples will be hardy. You may ask
why? Well, because mother nature does not do business that way. We hear
now and then the remark, "He is a good mixer." Well, if any man or set
of men can beat mother nature at mixing they will have to do better in
the future than they have done in the past.

But remember that we have the Hibernal as a scion above those roots, and
that is the best apple wood to root from the scion that I know of. Some
may ask, why not use the Virginia crab? I answer, for the reasons above
stated, as I have tried both.

Our trees are two years old now and are ready to be planted in the
orchard where they are to remain. Grow them in orchards one year. But if
from drouth or some other cause they do not make a satisfac