2(50 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



FRANKLIN COUNTY. 



Institute at Phillips. 



An Institute was held at Phillips March 28th, in the North 

 Franklin Grange Hall, which was kindly tendered for the occasion. 

 The attendance was good throughout the day and evening. J. W. 

 Butterfield, member for the count^^ opened the meeting with appro- 

 priate remarks. The forenoon was taken up with a discussion of 

 the subject of the "■ Valuation of Fertilizers," bN' Secretary Gilbert, 

 no report of which is given. 



AFTERNOON. 



LESSONS FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN ORCHARDING. 

 By Phinneas Whittier, Chesterville. 



If an orchard is to be grown, the first essential thing is to get an 

 orchardist, one who likes the business, sees its importance, has great 

 perseverance, and will take pains to educate himself for it. Holding 

 these views you must allow me to speak of something more than the 

 mere details in telling how to grow fruit. 



In passing through our State one cannot fail to notice a great 

 difference in the appearance of the farming community. In sections 

 favored with rich alluvial soils, and on upland possessing a good 

 soil comparatively free of rocks, the farmer who does not appear to 

 be in comfortable circumstances is' an exception. In other sections 

 with an equalh' fertile soil, but so encumbered with rocks that it costs 

 more to prepare it for cultivation than the land is worth after it is 

 prepared, the farmer who is prosperous is the exception. We can 

 ride many miles over our hills, through the best of orchard lands, 

 and see deserted farms turned out to pasture or left to grow up to 

 bushes, their former owners gone West or into more profitable business. 

 Others there are where a hard struggle is still continued, but all the 

 signs about the farm and buildings point to a failure sooner or later. 

 On such farms, where improved machinery cannot be well used, 

 the high price of labor bears heavily, and this with a decreasing 

 fertility, and the competition of the West growing stronger every 

 year, makes farming in the old way on such soils a very discouraging 



