FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 3G3 



tion and character of soil best suited to insure its success; in other words, 

 to enable men liaving a certain soil and location to know what to plant. 



While it is evident that the number of varieties of apples grown in the State 

 have largely increased in the last few years, both by the introduction of kinds 

 from other States and from Europe, it must, nevertheless, be conceded that 

 those an experienced fruit grower would plant, or recommend to plant, with a 

 reasonable expectation of realizing profitable returns in fruit, are decreasing 

 year by year. 



The deniands of the market, by calling more and more loudly for certain 

 kinds, have worked a very marked change already in the apple orchards of the 

 State. 



The failure of old and aforetime popular sorts to be longer productive, and 

 the tenderness of others when submitted to the vicissitudes of our climate, have 

 further tended to lessen the kinds that the observing and intelligent orchardist 

 can plant with any degree of confidence. And it is at least probable, judging 

 from the past, that the apples we now grow most successfully, will be super- 

 seded by new, and now unknown varieties, within the lifetime of men now 

 living. 



The Baldwin. 



If the number of trees of this variety planted throughout the State, or the 

 proportion of trees in old orchards grafted to this sort, or the preference of 

 iDuyers in the fall for this fruit were to be taken as conclusive evidence of its 

 value, it would of right stand first on the list. 



That it is one of tlie most productive kinds, where it is successful, is con- 

 ceded. That it is a good shipping apple, though not the best, is also unques- 

 tioned. The quality, while it is good, and suits many tastes, cannot compare 

 with that of others on the same list. 



The chief drawback in planting it, at least in this part of the State, is the 

 risk arising from the tenderness of the tree, thousands of trees having been 

 killed in both orchard and nursery by our hard winters, in all, or nearly all, 

 portions of the State. 



It seems to be more hardy north than south, the southern tier of counties 

 in this State being about the limit of the successful cultivation of this variety. 

 Even in this county it should be planted only on high grounds, and the more 

 hilly and stony the better. If grown at all on comparatively low, retentive or 

 heavy soils, it should be top-grafted on some entirely hardy stock, like the 

 Northern Spy, or Dutchess of Oldenburg. 



The tendency it sometimes shows of dropping prematurely, is a fault that is 

 common to many of our best apples; and it should be gathered on this ac- 

 count as soon as possible after it is properly ripened. 



Generally a very large proportion of the fruit is marketable, even on neg- 

 lected orchards, which seems to offer a premium, especially to careless culti- 

 vators, oi\ planting this variety. 



The Xorthern Spy. 



In spite of the past season's experience with this variety, which was excep- 

 tional, there being so large a proportion of the fruit unsalable, I feel con- 

 strained to place it on the list of long-keeping valuable varieties. In quality, 

 there is nothing superior to it, when well grown, being far better than the 

 Baldwin, while in productiveness, with me, it fully equals if it does not surpass 

 that variety. 



