40 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



all the legislation necessary will be easib' obtained. However much 

 our school curriculum may be extended in this direction, there need 

 be no fear that the farmer will not pa}- his full share of the taxes ; 

 but all advantage to be derived from extending the knowledge of 

 fruit culture, will accrue quite as much to the merchant, mechanic 

 and professional man, as to the farmer himself. God pity the man 

 who does not, at some time in life, own a few rods of land, which 

 for the cultivation of fruit, if his mind has been properly instructed, 

 will prove a mine of pleasure, and add wonderfully' to the health and 

 happiness of his family. The people at large know but little of the 

 great importance of fruit as a part of their daily diet. If this 

 Society could do something to displace a few pounds of pork, b}' the 

 products of the orchard, the bush and the vine, it would elevate the 

 standard of humanit}', and curtail the business of both the physician 

 and undertaker. As civilization advances, the consumption of fruit 

 will very much increase, and the cultivation must be largely extended 

 to keep pace with the demand. 



Farmers realize the value of an orchard when grown, but few have 

 faith enough to set many trees. Ten or fifteen years look a long 

 time to wait before realizing an}' returns. How many orchards of 

 500 or 1,000 trees, in good condition, can be purchased for double 

 what it cost to grow them. Let us look at the cost of an acre of 

 orcharding, 70 trees. The best of trees will cost ten cents apiece, 

 and about the same amount will set them, in pasture land. The 

 expense for dressing and care, until the apples give sufficient return 

 to pay expenses, will swell the total to $60 or $70. And who would 

 not give thrice this amount, plus the value of the land, for an acre 

 of young orchard ? We know whereof we speak when we give these 

 figures, as we have an orchard of this description set fifteen years 

 ago, in an old sheep pasture, from which we have taken enough 

 apples to pay all expenses, and which bore this year more than $100 

 worth of apples. I do not speak of this as an exceptional yield, but 

 to show what can be done on almost any of our rocky hillsides, with 

 very little outlay. 



I do not wish to recommend much that is new, nor anything 

 startling, and yet I believe it is the proper duty of this Society to 

 investigate, and if possible recommend that which will be for the 

 best interest of all. We know that many of our people are fre- 

 quently sending part, at least, of their surplus to help develop the 

 mines and boom the towns of the far-off West, and too frequently 



