4, STATE TOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Teach the former never to destroy or intimidate the latter, but rather to 

 encourage them to make their homes in our midst. Birds are among our best 

 friends ; they cheer us with their enlivening songs and aid us in the destruc- 

 tion of thousands of insects that are ready to destroy our grain and fruit. 

 Not only farmers and pomologists, but every one that has an opportunity 

 ought to encourage the birds in their work by giving them undisturbed resting 

 places in forests and ornamental trees. 



In Hillsdale county the apple is the principal fruit grown for shipping pur- 

 poses. As a source of profit aside from home consumption every farm should 

 have a good apple orchard. If not already provided it should be attended to 

 without delay ; it will enhance the value of the premises as readily as anything 

 that can be done. 



Do not be afraid of overdoing the fruit business ; there are several large 

 cities and a vast extent of country that look to Michigan for their apples. In 

 planting an orchard be careful to select the proper place; subsoil and enrich 

 the ground, and do not set out too many different kinds. A few of the early 

 and fall apples only are needed ; half a dozen varieties of the best winter and 

 good keeping sorts are enough. Study the reports of the Michigan Pomo- 

 logical Society and practice their precepts and success is sure. 



Farmers in a comparatively new country, especially where the land is natu- 

 rally fertile, sometimes seem to forget that there is danger of exhausting the 

 soil of its grain producing qualities until the fact becomes apparent from the 

 scanty and diminished yield. How can land in this condition be brought back 

 and its fertility restored and at the same time give some profit to its owner? 

 I answer by an entire change of system. Let the grain business be secondary 

 for a few years, and assume that grass is king. Use red clover with plaster 

 applied ; timothy and red-top with a liberal dressing of barnyard manure, or 

 anything that will make grass grow, remembering not to feed down to closely. 

 These will eventually give a good supply of green clover with an abundance of 

 roots, or a closely matted turf, which in due time can be turned under with the 

 plow, and the productive elements to a certain degree restored. Some good 

 stock may be kept at a profit to consume the hay and coarse grain and roots 

 which should all be fed out on the premises. Follow this system for a few 

 years, keeping in mind the grand object of attainment, and success will crown 

 your efforts by a rich remuneration of abundant harvests. 



Perhaps there are some in our midst that delay from time to time the plant- 

 ing of trees or the making of other improvements, the benefit of which seems 

 to be in the distant future, that excuse themselves upon the ground that they 

 cannot afford to wait so long for the result. Now it is a part of the vocation 

 of pomologists and farmers generally to wait. It takes time to grow trees, and 

 time to develop their fruit. The grain and stock of the farm require time to 

 bring them to maturity and profit. We must wait ; and yet this is not an idle 

 waiting. When the necessary work in connection with the production of these 

 things is done, we can turn our attention to other matters. Time will be filled, 

 so really it costs nothing to wait, and it is hardly fair to make it a pretext for 

 neglect. 



With some of us, in our desire to increase the extent of our farms, we over- 

 look the fact that better cultivation of what we already possess would be much 

 more to our advantage. Work should be thoroughly done and in proper sea- 

 son, remembering the adage that "Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing 

 well;" and also, "Never put off till to-morrow what should be done to-day." 

 Usually the different kinds of work on a farm follow each other in regular sue- 



