A Venerable Orchard 



known Gushing Pear-tree, as this farm 

 was a part of the colonial grant to Mat- 

 thew Gushing in 1634, and was the Stamm- 

 haus of that widespread race, which held 

 the property in the Gushing name for two 

 hundred and forty years, the land having 

 descended by will from one to another, 

 so that we hold the first deed, and paid the 

 first money that was ever given for it. 



The Apple orchard proper, which is in The Apple 

 the shape of a flat-iron, lies in the point 

 of the place, which is quite filled by three 

 or four enormous old trees, which have 

 grown to a great height, and had, when 

 we came, immense branches that arched 

 over and almost swept the ground, their 

 huge mounds of rosy bloom in spring 

 making a wondrous sight. 



Since then, with a vague idea of improv- 

 ing them, though some of the wise ones 

 tell us it is a mistake to meddle with such 

 old trees, we have had them pruned, that 

 the sun might shine more directly upon 

 the apples, which failed to color properly 

 in the dense shade. Also, the ground 

 beneath them has been plowed, to the 

 great detriment of their small roots, which, 

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