212 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



hunting. Often your little eight or ten year old boy or girl will find what 

 you fail to observe. Start a collection of specimens of injurious and bene- 

 ficial insects, and familiarize yourself with their habits and learn the 

 treatment. You will be astonished at your advancement in knowledge, 

 and will find the study exceedingly interesting. The late Matthew Cooke 

 began in this way and died a benefactor of his race, leaving behind him a 

 rich treasure of knowledge gathered in his books. 



If your apples or pears have holes in them, and a worm at the core, look 

 out for codlin moth and see what to do, and do it at once. Taken early, 

 this pest is readily overcome and the remedies are now well known. 



Don't think that you are on velvet when you begin to take $200 or $300 

 per acre from your orchard. Eternal vigilance is the price of a good 

 orchard. 



Don't plant an orchard as you would work a mine, expecting some time 

 to abandon it. Make it your home and your life, your highest pleasure. 

 The man who has forty acres of fruit trees, well selected and well cared 

 for, has an investment of ever increasing value; he has an occupation, 

 which, in its nature, is calculated to develop in him the highest attributes 

 of manhood. Of all the pursuits to which the soil invites, he will find 

 here the widest scope for intelligent action, and that which inspires a pride 

 in the dignity and nobility of his employment. 



I have exceeded my limit and must not take more of your valuable 

 space. Upon review, I find nowhere have I stated when to plant. Locked 

 in the snow and ice while I write and while our planting and pruning are 

 going on, our trans- Rocky Mountain neighbors may not realize what seems 

 to us needless 'to state — namely: That we plant during the winter and 

 spring up to April; but we ought not, where we cannot irrigate, to plant 

 later than the middle of March, and December and January would be 

 better if we have early rains and can work our ground. Having no sum- 

 mer rains and generally none later than April worth considering, our trees 

 should be well settled and have the benefit of late rains in winter and 

 early spring. Often our almonds and peaches are in bloom before an 

 eastern orchardist could put a plow in the ground. It is not unusual to 

 see an apricot orchard in full bloom in February. 



We begin to gather early fruits in May, and we have a succession of 

 fruits thenceforward until autumn, and are gathering something every 

 week. 



The bulk of our deciduous fruits, however, fall in July and August. I 

 have seen a fair crop of peaches the second year from planting, and the 

 third a profitable one. 



Apricots, prunes, pears, and indeed most of these fruits do not yield 

 much until the fourth year, although you may count on enough fruit in 

 three years to pay expenses if you have done your part. 



Nearly all our fruits bear every year. 



A word of disclaimer. I do not pretend to much knowledge upon fruit 

 growing aside from what experience and close observation have taught me. 



There are hundreds of men in the State more competent to teach than I 

 if they would only do it. 



I have tried to anticipate for the beginner some of the pitfalls into 

 which I stumbled and show him how to keep out of them. If I shall 

 have guided any groping aspirants into the easier paths of fruit growing 

 by this somewhat hastily prepared paper, I shall feel rewarded for the 

 trouble. 



Very truly yours, 



N. P. CHIPMAN. 



