Orchards. 33 



by mathematicians "quincunx," familiar in all kinds of 

 spotted muslin and other art patterns. The individual 

 trees have then more room, although the reciprocal dis- 

 tances are no greater than when disposed rectangularly. 

 A very good plan supplementary to the apple-tree plant- 

 ing is to insert a plum-tree between every couple of apples, 

 the plum beginning to bear sooner, and thus furnishing 

 revenue while the orchard itself, because of its youth, is 

 not yet productive. But do not plant too many kinds. 

 A nicely graduated succession of sorts is far better than 

 a multitudinous variety, to say nothing of the uncertainty 

 of a great number of different sorts doing well in any one 

 specific locality. No collection, even of moderate extent, 

 can be depended upon for a certain crop every season 

 in a climate like that of England, where so many perils 

 are identified with the period called Spring. Plentiful as 

 apple-trees are already, there is room in England for an 

 indefinite annual increase of the number. Every small 

 farm ought to have its orchard, and its plot of bush- 

 fruits as well, since, excepting .during hay-time, the 

 owner generally has leisure enough to attend to all that 

 is wanted, and the return helps in no slight measure to 

 pay the rent. 



Apple-culture in England will not have attained its 

 proper status until another great fact is recognized and 

 acted upon namely, the inexpressible value of fruit-trees 

 in general as decorative or ornamental objects. Orchards 

 laid out with pleasant walks, provided with seats, and a 

 fair amount of flower-beds, so as to invite to quiet morn- 

 F 



