14 IXTRODUCTIOX. 



year; next, the pleasure attendant upon their propagation, 

 their culture, and above all, the satisfaction derived from the 

 harvesting and consumption of these products. 



"It is a well-established axiom in the medical profession, 

 that the regular consumption of fresh, Avell ripened fruit, is 

 conducive to health ; and it is also a fact that the farmers of 

 our country are not so well fed as they should be. This is no 

 body's fault but their own. True, they cannot have so great 

 a variety of meats as those who reside in towns and villages, 

 but they may enjoy the greatest profusion of fresh vegetables, 

 and a succession of ripe fruits the year round, if they will 

 but choose to take the trouble to plant and cultivate even a 

 small portion as a garden and orchard. 



"An appeal on behalf of fruit culture may also be made 

 to the more sordid motive of money making. No crops that 

 are produced from the soil yield so great profits. The pro- 

 ductiveness of small pieces of land appropriated to fruit cul- 

 ture is truly wonderful, and the money results in some cases 

 are so great as to be worthy of the fashionable term 'fabu- 

 lous.' " 



One of the leading objects in presenting this work to the 

 public, is to induce our farmers to direct more special atten-, 

 tion to fruit growing. It has been, we think, fully demon- 

 strated in the preceding pages, that fruit culture is to be an 

 occupation^ and a blessing, under Providence, to our people, 

 and will materially aid in our recuperation from the damages 

 and devastation sustained by the late war. The advantages 

 as to good health, good living, good morals and pecuniary 

 results that will be regarded as highly satisfactory, will 

 all come in as inducements to our farmers to set out and 

 cultivate orchards. Care in the selection of varieties of 

 well-established merit, suitable for the location, comprising a 

 selection that will insure a succession for the year round, is of 

 the first importance; the earliest varieties being cultivated for 

 market by those located in or near maratime districts and rail- 

 roads leading to our large cities, especially to those north of us. 

 There can he no failure if our farmers will avail themselves 

 of the simple and cheap means within their reach, to surround 



