STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 53 



muriate of potash fifty pounds per acre. To be well worked into 

 the soil. 



Sixth. Acid South Carolina rock 200 pounds ; fine ground 

 South Carolina rock 800 pounds, and muriate of potash fifty pounds 

 per acre. To be well worked into the soil. The best results will be 

 obtained with this mixture on soils containing considerable organic 

 matter or with a clover seeding. 



Seventh. Unleached wood ashes at the rate of 100 bushels to 

 200 bushels per acre. The best results will be obtained when 

 worked into the soil, but they do well in most cases when applied 

 as a top dressing except mill ashes which have little efl^ect as a top 

 dressing. The first, second and seventh have been used often and 

 in most cases have proved satisfactory on soils needing the elements 

 which they contain. 



INEXPEXSIVE SOURCES OF FERTILITY— POULTRY. 



By Dr. George M. Twitchell, Fairfield. 



The value of orcharding in the State of Maine has never been 

 pressed upon the attention of the public as its merits demand. 

 Friends of the apple and plum have been content to carry on a suc- 

 cessful business, with no attempt at creating special public interest 

 in this branch of farm husbandry. During the years, hundreds of 

 thousands of dollars have been flowing out into the orange groves 

 of Florida or the vineyards of California, or, later, into the still 

 more hazardous investments in the West and South. Meanwhile 

 the hills of the good old State of Maine remain, the climate is the 

 same, Maine grown fruit has stood at the head, and those who 

 planted here have been gathering year b\' year sure returns, and 

 seeing their lands steadily increase in value. The special advan- 

 tages here for orcharding are not appreciated to-day, and we who 

 still keep faith in the old Pine Tree State have a mission to perform. 

 From centre to circumference Maine would sing under the weight of 

 increasing harvests it we would but put a stop to negative teaching 

 and negative examples. While the grape grower of California has 

 been selling his lucious Hamburgs for S15 a ton, the potato grower 

 of Aroostook has received S30 for his Early Rose. While the 

 selected oranges of Florida have brou2;ht the growers one cent each, 



