STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 415 



would increase its membership b\' so doing ; there ought to be ten 

 members where there is one now. 



[From B. F. Mathews, Hope.] 



In the vicinity where I reside, the first settlers, being near the 

 sea shore, did not engage in orcharding, but more especially in 

 lumbering, — ever}' farmer setting about one hundred trees, allowing 

 them to grow the same as forest trees. If there happened to be a 

 sweet apple the tree was clubbed and stoned until it ceased to bear 

 fruit. 



Nearly fifty years ago, Jacob White of Hope, brought from 

 Massachusetts a small bundle of scions of the Baldwin, which were 

 set in the orchards of Boyce Crane, Esq., Abner Dunton and Daniel 

 Bartlett, of Hope. From that time the farmers began to improve 

 their orchards, and now they have some very fine ones. It has 

 'been hard to dispose of our fruit for full prices on account of having 

 no sale for it in large lots. But that time is past, and we can now 

 sell at our homes all we can raise. Mr. L. S. True of Hope, is 

 shipping all he can find in the vicinity, to Liverpool. He packs in 

 barrels made to order, lined with paper. Mr. J. Gould is handling 

 about three thousand bushels. Dr. Isaac Bartlett & Son are using 

 three thousand bushels in their cider mill. So you perceive we have 

 a market for all we can raise. The Baldwin is a good bearer in our 

 valleys about our mountains. For winter fruit the Baldwin leads, 

 and with the King, Northern Spy, Roxbury and Golden Russets, are 

 all I would cultivate. For late fall and winter the Hubbardston, 

 Fletcher Sweet and Gravenstein are about all that are profitable. 

 It does not pay to raise early fruit for twenty-five cents per bushel. 



If I were to begin life again, I would purchase twcntj'-five acres 

 of land, set it to winter fruit, setting the trees forty feet apart each 

 wa}', so as to give ample room to cart dressing without interfering 

 with the trees, keeping the trees well mulched, allowing no grass or 

 sprouts to grow about the trunks, keeping the tops open ; would 

 not scrape the trunks, but apply the dressing and let that do its 

 work. Never saw or cut a limb until the buds start in the spring, 

 or later than August ; if you do the bark will not heal over the 

 cleft. Cut when the tree is growing and it will heal over very 

 rapidly. Fruit should be carefully handled, never allowed to lay on 



