FAEMERS' INSTITUTES. 367 



give all tiie reasons at this time. Unless the soil is new and just cleared of 

 litnbs, it should be thoroughly worked over and mellowed by a previous crop of 

 potatoes, corn, or some other hoed crop, or summer fallowed. ISTow comes 

 another important part of the work which is rarely ever attempted. Plow and 

 farrow with one team and follow it with a plow drawn by three large horses, or 

 two teams, on a big subsoil or trench plow put down as deep as the team can 

 draw it. Work the surface over in suitable weather two to four times with the 

 plow and harrow until it is all uniformly fine. The land will look better, though 

 it may be little or no better, if it is now planed down with a plank scraper till 

 all the small knolls are cut off and the little hollows filled. 



SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 



This, again, is devoted ground. No two persons, even with much experience, 

 will ever exactly agree as to the selection of best varieties. One, perhaps, 

 remembers a certain variety which just suited him in his boyhood, and he plants 

 largely of that variety without any thought of its qualities for bearing, time of 

 ripening or shajDO of fruit, without regarding the liability of the tree to winter 

 kill, to grow in bad shape or spUt down. The Esopus Spitzenberg is an excel- 

 lent apple for winter, the Yellow Bellflower also, but we have not yet learned 

 how to grow them profitably. Tastes diifer. For market we must be guided 

 by the choice of the majority or by the choice of a minority if they are willing 

 to pay extra prices. Occa>ionally there is a person who thinks there is nothing 

 like the Black Gilliflower, but to the taste of most people they are only a second 

 or third rate fruit. One thinks there is nothing like the melon apple ; to others 

 perhaps of the same family, this apple has a flavor positively disagreeable. At 

 present the majority of our farmers find winter apj^les more profitable than 

 tliose ripe in summer or autumn. Some of our most popular market apples 

 (as the Baldwin) are not first quality. They are much raised because they bear 

 well and are profitable to sell. In too many places, especially south and west, 

 an apple is an apple and called nice if its color, shape and size are approved. 

 But as our country grows older and produces more apples and the taste of the 

 people becomes more cultivated, quality, in making good sales, is going to tell 

 much more than in the past. This we know has been our experience in regard 

 to butter, cheese, beef, mutton and poultry. As wealth increases people become 

 more particular in taste, and there is much more difference in the price of good 

 and bad articles of food. In some localities there may be a good market for 

 autumn fruit for drying. This will have some influence on the varieties to be 

 planted and the proportions of each. The model winter apple mast be hardy, 

 bear annually on moderate soil, must be long lived, fruit of medium size, skia 

 rather thick, color red or yellow with a red cheek, quality fine grained, tender, 

 not very sour and a good keeper. It is fashionable just now to recommend but 

 yery few varieties for cultivation. I think we shall soon change again and 

 recommend a somewhat larger list. For a full list I can do no better than, 

 recommend my hearers to the list of fruits recommended by our State Pomo-^ 

 logical Society, p. 139, 1873. 



I will mention a few of my favorites : 



FOR SUMMER. 



Early Harvest, Eed Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, Early Joe, Primate. The 

 last two for family use or select home market. 



