ORCHARDS. 191 



and valuable. The committee award to David Hubbard the 

 second premium, and recommend gratuities to the other com- 

 petitors. 



David Hubbard's acre was broken up in the spring of 1855, 

 was thoroughly dragged and planted to potatoes, which yielded 

 a crop of one hundred and twenty-five bushels. In May, 1856, 

 he ploughed, harrowed, and planted Indian corn on three- 

 fourths of the piece, and manured with two bushels of ashes in 

 the hill, and hoed twice. The yield was thirty-seven bushels. 

 The remainder was planted with early Carter potatoes, and pro- 

 duced eighty-one bushels. The value of the crops of 1855-6, 

 was estimated at 1110, the expenses at $29, and the net profits, 

 $81. The increased value of this acre is estimated at $70. 



Kelita Hubbard's acre was burned over in 1854. In 1855 it 

 was planted with corn and potatoes, and in 1856 with oats, rye 

 and millet for fodder. 



Avery D. Hubbard's acre is the same described in Flint's 

 Agriculture of Massachusetts for 1854, p. 71, and in the Hamp- 

 shire Society's Transactions for 1854. It has produced good 

 crops of hay the past two years. He estimates the net profits 

 on this acre, for four years, including the increased value of 

 the land, at $135.80. 



ORCHARDS 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



The committee recommend more premiums on apple orchards, 

 to encourage farmers to set out and cultivate more fruit. The 

 apple, we are inclined to think, is the fruit best adapted to 

 general cultivation in New England, and the one whose cultiva- 

 tion will be found most profitable. 



' Obed Winter, Chairman, 



