158 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



is no place on earth like home, and strive to make it one of joy and love, at least 

 an emblem of that better and never-ending home above. And in the language 

 of Whittier, permit me to say : 



That he who blesses most is blest, 



And God and man shall owa his worth 

 Who toils to leave as his behest 



An added beauty to the earth. 



PLANT AN ORCHARD. 



BY WILLIAM M'CRAY, COWGILL. 



As I am now an old man past 74 years of age, I may not be able to attend your 

 meeting, but I hope it will be a success, as it will be held at a good old town, and 

 made up of a kind, good people I first saw Fulton in April, 1S2S. I was then a 

 boy about nine years old. I lived at Millersburg, a small town 12 miles west of 

 Fulton, where I became acquainted with many of the good people of Boone and 

 Callaway counties. Many of them have gone to the great unseen. 



I am glad to say that some interest in fruit culture in late years has been 

 shown here in Caldwell county by men who have planted quite large orchards. 

 But it is well for us all to remember that in the growing of an apple orchard much 

 labor and patience and many other things are required to make it a success. 



Many good people that plant orchards don't make it a success, because they 

 are not naturally qualified for the business. These same people may be well qual- 

 ified for some other pursuit in life and make it a success. We should know how to 

 plant the trees, which ought to be done very carefully. After planting we must 

 watch closely for the apple-tree borer and many other insect enemies. 



Many new varieties of the apple are now being planted, but I think it may be 

 well for us not to quit planting some Jonathans, Rambos, White Bellflowers, North- 

 ern Spys, etc. Our Ben Davis is a nice selling apple; the trees are not a long- 

 lived tree like the Jonathan. Our Maiden Blush is a good apple. The Jonathan 

 is a nice, good apple; they fall off the trees easily from the effects of the wind. 

 Now is a good time to plant orcharls. The most of our old orchards are about all 

 gone, and the population of our country is increasing at a rapid rate. We are now 

 experiencing the effect of doing without apples. We all know it is much trouble 

 for us that have formerly had plenty of apples, to do without them. 



We all ought to encourage our young men and boys especially to learn as much 

 as possible the science of horticulture. Fruit is almost as necessary a part of our 

 food as bread. The teachers in our schools ought to impress these great truths as 

 much as possible. Most all of our hilly lands would grow grapes and apples. The 

 fertile elements of our soil are continually wasted, as they are carried to the sea by 

 the waters of our great rivers and are lost forever. Our population is rapidly in- 

 creasing all the time. We are continually losing the elements by which we live, 

 and the aggregate of our lives is increasing continually. It would seem from 

 these facts that we may be gradually coming to starvation, but we will likely not 

 see that time. I hope the meeting at Fulton will be a success, as so much will be 

 said by the eminent and distinguished citizens of our State to make it such. 



