ORCHARDS AND FRUIT CULTURE. gj 



or southwest, east or west, north or south, as the case may be ; 

 so that when we have a determination of the amount of sugar in 

 each particular box of grapes, we have a statement of the aspect 

 under which it grew, what the average temperature for each 

 month was of the vineyard where it grew, and also an accurate 

 statement of the character of the soil. In that way we have all 

 the elements of judgment. Now, it is an astonishing fact, that 

 we have found the greatest amount of sugar, which is the great 

 desideratum in the grape, in fruit coming from vineyards of all 

 varieties of aspect. We have found vineyards having a northwest 

 aspect, those facing the southeast, those facing the north and 

 those facing the south producing the greatest amount of sugar. 

 Now, the question is, what is the law that regulates the effects of 

 aspect ? I should be exceedingly glad to hear that question dis- 

 cussed by the gentlemen present. One has an orchard sloping to 

 the northwest ; his neighbor has one sloping to the southwest ; he 

 can testify as to his own orchard and as to his neighbor's orchard 

 for a series of years, and that information would be of great value. 

 It would enable us to determine with clearness what is right and 

 what is wrong. 



Now we are told by Mr. Perley, that a northern aspect is the 

 one which, on the whole, is the most desirable in Maine for an 

 apple orchard. I have no doubt that his testimony is correct in 

 regard to Maine ; but it is certainly not the case in New York. 

 There, generally speaking, orchards facing towards the east do 

 the best. In the counties of Orleans, Niagara and Wayne, the 

 orchards generally slope towards the east. Now, if we can have 

 this information clearly and distinctly stated from each neighbor- 

 hood in Maine, it would be of great value. 



Then again with regard to planting. Some gentlemen say here 

 that seventy trees to the acre is the most desirable number in 

 Maine ; that certainly would not be true where I have had the 

 most experience. I would never put more than forty to the acre. 

 I have no doubt that these gentlemen have good sound reasons 

 for the statement they make, and I should like to hear the testi- 

 mony of gentlemen all around me on the question whether the 

 planting of seventy trees to the acre has been best in their experi- 

 ence. 



On the island of Rhode Island, where they have some of the 

 finest orchards I ever saw, there are orchards which it is like 

 going into a cavern to go into ; there are large trees which have 

 6 



