OLD-FASHIONED ORCHARD. 213 



growing at all, sir. I have said that I did not think the grow- 

 ing of apples in large quantities was a part of profitable agri- 

 culture in this Commonwealth ; and when I assumed the ground 

 to which you, sir, have alluded in calling me out, with regard 

 to the adoption of specialties in farming, I rejected the growing 

 of apples, because it seemed to me that that belonged so much 

 to general farming that it did not come into that branch which 

 was specially profitable, and which you could pursue here in 

 Massachusetts with advantage. 



Now, let me explain a little about my views, and about 

 orcharding as conducted in the old-fashioned way. I agree, 

 that there are certain localities on almost every farm upon 

 which apples can be grown, to a certain amount, with some 

 advantage, — ground that is not fit for the rapid growing of the 

 heavy feeding crops. I mean by that, soil that is not too strong, 

 has not too large an amount of either vegetable matter or clay 

 in it. Soil of that character, it seems to me, is fit to grow apple- 

 trees on. Shaley land, land around ledges, land in which there 

 is a great deal of decomposed rock, and a great deal of mineral 

 matter, and especially the soluble salts, I have seen used for 

 the growing of orchards to great advantage, especially in these 

 modern times, when the growing of an apple-tree is a very dif- 

 ficult thing. Now, wherever there is upon a farm a piece of 

 ground of that description, I would not object at all to occu- 

 pying it with some apple-trees ; not that I think those trees are 

 going to make the farmer's fortune, but because I think they 

 are a useful adjunct to the farm. The apple is a healthful fruit, 

 and whenever you can get a crop, — which you cannot always do, 

 — it is a good fruit to have upon a place. But in regard to 

 the profit of orchards, as formerly planted by our ancestors, I 

 still have great doubt, and I think the doubts are well founded. 

 I have discovered that, more than seventy-five years ago, the 

 same doubts were raised in England, in regard to the profit of 

 apple orchards. If you will look into Sir John Sinclair's 

 " Code of Agriculture," you will find that the rents of orchard 

 lands were lower than the rents of any other agricultural lands 

 in the kingdom ; and my own experience and observation have 

 shown me that there was good reason for it. 



I can illustrate by describing the condition of affairs that 



