ORCHARDS AND FRUIT CULTURE. 83 



Mr. Adams of Franklin. I have had some experience in fruit 

 culture in Maine, and a fair share of success. My opinion is, that 

 a slope to the south or east is the preferable one. We have in the 

 State of Maine an abundance of good rich loamy soil, of granitic 

 origin, which is well adapted to the culture of the apple, the pear, 

 the plum, and all the small fruits. It is surprising, that with 

 so great advantages, our farmers do not pay more attention to 

 fruit culture ; for there is no branch of farming which will yield 

 so much pleasure and profit as a good orchard and fruit garden. 



In order to manage successfully it is necessary in the first place 

 to select a suitable soil, and I like best a rich, rocky loam, where 

 the forest growth was maple, birch and other hard wood, with 

 good natural drainage, or else made dry by artificial drainage ; 

 oilier soils can be made to succeed, but it is cheaper and better to 

 take one naturally adapted to the purpose, and we have plenty of 

 such as are well suited to fruit, and better for that use than for 

 any other. The lot selected should be well fenced, not only to 

 keep farm stock out, but also to keep pigs in, as I have found 

 tli em very useful in a large orchard. 



What kinds to plant depends on the object we have in view. 

 If for family use only we should select such as yield a succession 

 of fruit, from the earliest to the latest. If intended for the market 

 we should select such as are productive and hardy, of handsome 

 appearance rather than of very high quality, and will bear trans- 

 portation well. For such as are near large markets, the earliest 

 sorts are the most profitable. The best proved among these are 

 the Early Harvest, the Red Astrachan, the High Top Sweeting, 

 the Sweet Bough and Williams' Favorite. For house use and 

 market, among fall fruits, the best are the Porter, Garden Royal, 

 Fall Harvey, Dean or Nine-ounce and Gravenstein. The most 

 profitable winter fruits are the Hubbardston Nonsuch, Baldwin, 

 Rhode Island Greening, Roxbury Russet and Talman Sweet. 



It is a great mistake to attempt to grow a large number of 

 varieties for market purposes. There is far more profit in a small 

 number if the best only are selected. Every orchardist should 

 have his own nursery and raise his own trees. He can grow them 

 cheaper than he can buy them, and a great deal better trees. Let 

 him plant out seedlings of one or two years old, in rows six or 

 seven feet apart, so as to give plenty of room for the trees to 

 develop properly, and while they are small, he can grow a row of 

 early potatoes or beans between the rows of trees. The soil for 



