244 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Fulton said: 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen— In coming into this auditorium 

 this afternoon I felt encouraged in what I have to say by seeing the fruit 

 upon the tables in tlie baclv part of the room. It sliows to me you are 

 interested in the subject to be discussed, and it shows, by the display 

 of fruits, that you are actively engaged in the work of fruit culture. Com- 

 ing, as I do, from Michigan, I naturally thgught that we have a pretty 

 good fruit State there, better than your State; but I will have to come 

 down a little and say that I now thinlv, and know, that it is a fact that 

 you have gotten together as good an exhibit here as we could have gotten 

 together in Michigan, at this season of the year, and we have been col- 

 lecting for Buffalo for the last two or three weeks or more, so we know 

 pretty nearly what can be gotten in our vicinity. 



I think, too, that the subject under discussion is a pi'ofitable one to 

 us, particularly in the line of apple growing, because I do not believe 

 that there is any fruit at the present time which has a brighter outlook 

 for profit and reward and in other respects, than has apple growing, and 

 I will again draw upon my own State as an example in this resp?ct. 



Michigan, as you know, has been regarded as one of the leading apple 

 States, and while it is one of the leading apple growing States, I must 

 confess this afternoon that three-fourths of the apple orchards in Michigan 

 are not kept as they should be. Three-fourths of the entire acreage of 

 apple orchards of Michigan are located in the lower four tiers of counties 

 of the State, and it is a rare thing to see in these counties new apple 

 orchards being planted. Occasionally a man sets a few trees out, but it 

 is a rare thing to see trees— new trees — planted. The old orchards have 

 been neglected, have been used for pastures, have been used to grow tim- 

 othy and other hay upon, and have been used for cow pasture and other 

 purposes aside from fruit growing; the orchards are neglected and are on 

 the decline. In the northern part of the State some new orchards are being 

 planted, and some of quite considerable areas, but throiighout the lower 

 part of the State there is but very little new planting being done. 



What does this mean? I think it means simply this: Michigan will 

 not be able to maintain her good record as an apple growing State, unless 

 some change is made in respect to the growing orchards and the planting 

 of new trees. It shows to us, also, that there is a great possibility within 

 reach of the man who will set out an apple orchard and give it good 

 care, because, since these old orchards are declining, it is only a matter 

 of a few years when they will be gone, and unless there are new orchards 

 to take their places there will not be the supply of fruit. The fruit from 

 a new orchard will always sell to better advantage than from an old one. 



Beginning on the new subject, I will state that I will endeavor to 

 consider the two kinds of fruit together, perhaps mentioning some things 

 in connection with the pear especially, a little later, for it can be done 

 and it will save time. 



