58 • BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wednesday, January 24, 1872. 



The Board was called to order at 10 o'clock, Colonel Swett in 

 the Chair. 



Orchards and Fruit Culture. 



Mr. T. S. Gold of Connecticut. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen : — In opening the discussion upon 

 "Orchards and Fruit Culture," I shall not advert to the great 

 enjoyment and profit to be derived by the farmer from this branch 

 of agriculture, but shall confine myself to a plain statement of 

 those practices which I have foifnd in my own experience and 

 observation to be essential to successful fruit culture, principally 

 confining myself to those leading fruits — the apple and the pear — 

 which are best adapted to general farm culture. 



First, our attention is drawn -to the soil. The essential thing is 

 that it should be dry ; that the trees planted upon it may have 

 what is called a dry bottom, and not stand with wet feet. In 

 some sections of the country, any artificial methods to accomplish 

 this are entirely unnecessary ; there is no hard pan underlying the 

 soil ; there is no difficulty in the roots getting down to any 

 desirable depth ; but in other sections it is very different, and 

 provision must be artificially made for this, if it does not naturally 

 exist in your lands. It is absolutely essential to the successful 

 culture of fruit, that the land be naturally or artificially under- 

 drained, so that the water can flow off freely, and not stand about 

 the roots of the trees. 



The aspect has much to do with selecting a location for an 

 orchard. And here let me remark, that sometimes orchards 

 succeed in one aspect and sometimes in another, even within a 

 very limited area, and upon a single farm; an orchard one y ir 

 where the fruit is brought forward early by its sheltered and wain 

 position, escapes; another year, an orchard by its position, is late, 

 escapes frost, and if a man wants to be sure of fruit upon his 

 farm, for the supply of his family or for market, it is very de- 

 sirable that he should select different aspects and locations for his 

 orchard, and not confine it to one single field or enclosure. 



With regard to the preparation of the soil. If the land is 

 capable of culture, usually deep cultivation with some crop, corn, 

 potatoes or other hoed crop which admits of high manuring, and 

 requires it, for success, is the best preparation of the soil that you 

 can make. On some rocky, fertile hillsides, that you could plant 



