118 STATE BOARD OF AGKTCULTUEE. 



NEW VAlilETIES OF OTHER PLANTS. 



Yv^o have quite a lot of new grapes one year old from seeds of the Concord 

 and the Delaware. Most of them are now better plants, as far as appearance 

 is concerned, than many Ave bought last spring which had been raised from 

 cuttings or layers. There are also some new lilacs one year old, quite a stock 

 from seeds of two or three species of gooseberries, and some currants from seeds 

 of six varieties, and a few strawberries. 



Seeds are saved from several kinds of fruits for further experiment. 



At the greenhouse are quite a lot of new geraniums, some fuchsias and 

 verbena^. 



THE COMPOST HEAP 



is managed this year much the same as last. For want of team work, we are 

 nearly one year behind in accumulating manure. We get most of it in a fresh 

 state, unrottcd in town. It is drawn in summer and winter and all used the 

 next sjjri ng. 



Some muck has been taken from number twelve to mix in alternate layers 

 with the manure as it was composted. \Yo have begun to draw from the swamp 

 and dump near by on dry land to allow it to freeze this winter. 



The flats back of the bee house where muck was dug out last year, have been 

 nicely filled up again and evenly graded. 



THE NEW ORCHARD. 



We are located in a place subject to great extremes of heat and cold, the 

 thermometer reaching 32 degs. and 33 degs. below zero. 



In spring we have late frosts, iu Autumn early frosts, in summer severe 

 droughts. Fruit trees of some sorts, as Sweet Boiighs and Baldwins, have been 

 struck dead or have lingered a useless, hopeless life for a few years after the 

 severe winters. Pear trees and clierry trees v.-ere killed. Beautiful, valuable 

 trees are sadly missed. It has taken a little time for us to regain courage 

 and decide what it is best to do — give up entirely or try again. Within 

 twenty years, much has been learned iu regard to hardy sorts and the best 

 sites for orchards. Last spring, after a mild winter, I ordered trees a year 

 old, of pears, plums and cherries. Some of them were two years old, but 

 all sound and thrifty. They were selected in about the following proportions : 

 Of pears, 5 Belle Lucrative, 5 Seckel, 5 Beurre d'Anjou, 5 Beurre Kose, 

 5 Bartlett, 5 Sheldon, 5 Howell, 5 Bufium, 5 Louise Bonne de Jersey, 5 

 Flemish Beauty, 5 Clapp's Favorite. Of plums, 7 Wild Goose, 7 Smith's Or- 

 leans, 7 Jetlersou, 7 Washington, 7 Lombard. Of cherries, 10 English 

 Morello, 10 May Uuke, 15 Eeine Hortense, 2 Yellow Spanish, 10 Belle de 

 Ohoisv, 10 Governor Wood, 3 Black Eagle, 10 Elton, 17 Early Richmond. 

 These vrerc not for the purpose of raising fruit for market. The young trees 

 were well set in nursery rows. iNearly all have made a good growth this season. 

 The small trees were cheapest, most likely to live, transported with loss risk, 

 and contained more roots in proportion to the rest of the tree. We had an old 

 pasture, a part of which was a strong clay plateau twenty to thirty feet above 

 the surrounding laud, with no screens of any kind. A year ago this fall it was 

 broken up. This sea-on it has been worked over, while it is now in excellent 

 condition, very mellow, and rich enough. It was sub^oiled. This fall it has 



