63 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



enough for tliose who arc to make a specialty of fruit-growing; but for me it 

 will not pay. I have not the time nor the means to attend to it." 



As well might the farmer argue that it would not pay for him to prepare his 

 ground well for wheat, because he does not make asjiecialty of wheat-growing; 

 or tend liis corn well because he is not a corn kinij among his neighbors. An- 

 other objection urged is that it is too late to do anything now, nearly all the 

 orchards are planted that will be needed in this part of our State, and there is 

 no use of making a radical change. 



But farmers and friends, do you not know that every year thousands of young 

 trees are being sold in these same old portions of our State? And for what 

 purpose? Viz. : to fdl up the vacant spaces occurring yearly in these same 

 half-cared-for orchards. A better era I am happy to say is dawning upon us. 

 The organization of many influential men in this State Pomological Society, 

 as well as many local societies, cannot fail to have a renovating influence. The 

 holding of sucli meetings as this in various portions of our State cannot fail 

 to assist in arousing an enthusiasm. In the next ten years -we hope to see 

 some new orchards put out with due preparation. In many places where 

 grievous mistakes have been made, men are thinking of abandoning the old 

 orchard, taking what it will do without care until a new one can be put out and 

 raised to bearing on correct princi2:)les. 



Tlien tlie old one is to be dug up. Do not be deterred from using drains ou 

 account of the roots entering the joints and stopping them. If afraid, you 

 can cement the joints in the more exjiosed places; but use the drains. I was 

 talking with a man last month, wliohad drains down lifteen years in an orchard 

 and had only been stopped at the end that length of time. When asked if he 

 intended to take them up and replace them, he replied; ''Certainl}^, sir. I 

 would not be without them there for half the value of the orchard." And now, 

 my friends, let us consider for a moment the preparation. AVhen a farmer wishes 

 to raise a fine crop of wheat, he spends a large portion of tiie working season 

 in a year to prepare a proper place to deposit the seed. He well knows that to 

 half i^low a piece of ground and then broadcast his seed, and half harrow it 

 in, would be but to insure him meagre returns. But when the good farmer 

 goes to set out an orchard instead of spending one or two years to get the 

 ground well fitted, drained, etc., he usually orders the trees, and when they 

 arrive casts about for some piece of ground that he can get plowed the easiest, 

 and tlien puts his trees in as best he can. How much wiser for tliis man to 

 spend two or more years in preparation, when lie takes into consideration the 

 fact that his orchard is a crop that is to be carried through the next fifty years, 

 or even that he make as rnucli preparation as for his wheat crop that lasts but 

 a single year. In regard to fruit raising, I fear we know how, better than we 

 do. But let us not shut our eyes to tlie fact that if we expect to succeed we 

 must adopt measures to make quality instead of quantity the desideratum. 

 While passing through Chicago I saw a])i)les that were labeled "Michigan 

 apples," and were the best the market atl'orded ; tliey were also sold liigher 

 accordingly. We have also won the premiums at many fairs and expositions; 

 but let us not in view of these facts rest on our laurels. If we expect to im- 

 prove and go forward, keeping pace witii our sister States, we must be up and 

 doing — we must work. 



Mr. Lord. — I have some practical interest in the matter of stoppage of drains 

 by the roots of trees. It seems to me there may be some question, perhaps 

 about the advisability of orchard drainage — except in cases where the ground 



