18 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



losing more and more every year, till this season, when the 

 destroyer made a wholesale sweep, leaving in its march but 

 very few of what might be called sound trees in the whole 

 orchard. We must ascribe this to being planted with corn 

 so long, rather than to heavy manuring; though it is well 

 known to fruit-growers that trees grown in rich soils are 

 about the only ones affected with the disease. No plants that 

 make a hard, woody fibre, like corn, rye, &c, should be grown 

 around fruit-trees ; as such plants, being fast growers, take to 

 themselves a large part of the plant-food in the soil at the 

 expense of the trees. We hope to obtain the experience of 

 others on this point in next year's report, as it is a question 

 that interests every fruit-grower throughout the country. 



Before bringing this report to a close, we would ask permis- 

 sion to stray away from our subject for a moment, and call 

 attention to those unsightly stumps, called apple-trees, that 

 line our thoroughfares, and take up much valuable room in 

 fields and orchards. We have reference to those seen as if 

 ready to tumble down, having hollow trunks surrounded with 

 root-suckers, white, branchless limbs, and gray with age all 

 over. Such trees, in our opinion, ought to have long since 

 found their way to the wood-pile to make room for others 

 more beautiful and profitable. Clear away along the stone 

 walls, also, and burn up all the rubbish. Then may it be 

 said of us, that we have well filled our sphere in cultivating 

 the soil, and left it better than we found it. 



John O'Brien, Chairman. 



