80 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Why would not the same treatment that would renovate an old 

 orchard cause a young one to grow 1 



JMk. Perley. It might, but I should rather take new land. If I 

 had no other ground, I would let the trees that remained have 

 the use of that ground until they were gone, and would then put 

 in other crops before again planting trees. If you have only 

 occasional vacant spaces, the roots of the trees that remain will 

 run across the vacant spaces and interlock. 



Mr. Gould. 1 freely admit, sir, that I have an axe ho grind, 

 and I may as well acknowledge it first as last. I have had an 

 opportune of acquiring information in all the States in New 

 England except Maine, and many questions have been started 

 here, and some which have not been started would be of great 

 interest, not only to me, but I believe to the whole agricultural 

 public. Taking the liberty to speak as an individual, and yet, 

 believing that I speak the wishes of thousands besides myself, I 

 say that I should be very glad if we could have, the distinct ex- 

 perience of the farmers of Maine in relation to these controverted 

 questions. 



In the first place, I should like to hear the experience of the 

 farmers of Maine with regard to aspect. What is the true aspect 

 for an orchard, and if various aspects are desirable, the law 

 which regulates results due to aspect in different parts of the 

 country, in different soils, and in different climates ? There was a 

 time in my agricultural life, when, if I had been asked, I should 

 have spoken in quite a dictatorial manner in regard to orchards. 

 I had the conviction that one aspect was preferable to another ; 

 but within the last eight years I have been accustomed, with 

 other gentlemen, to go to Pleasant Valley in New York State, the 

 great seat of the vine culture, and there we have instituted a 

 series of experiments with regard to vines which makes this mat- 

 ter of aspect far more interesting and intricate than I at first 

 supposed. The object of the experiments at Pleasant Valley is to 

 determine chemically the amount of acid and the amount of sugar 

 in the grapes grown in each locality. They are sent there from 

 an area of 300 miles in diameter, and all the various soils and 

 climates are represented in this collection. Every gentleman who 

 sends his box of grapes to be tested, with regard to acid and 

 sugar, sends with it a statement of the aspect of the vineyard, — 

 whether it slopes to the northeast, or northwest, to the southeast 



