STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 45 



may work with and assist nature to produce as nearly a perfect tree 

 of its kind as it is possible to do. Pruning, like weeding, takes 

 care of the small branches and the large ones will take care of 

 themselves. 



It will soon become a source of pleasure to look a tree over every 

 time you visit it with your pocket knife in hand, and if necessary 

 take off a little twig here and there, and when the tree ge;s to be a 

 few years old you will take a genuine satisfaction in reflecting ihat 

 you have formed that tree just about to suit your ideas of what a 

 iree should be, a satisfaction ihat would cost lots of solid cash to 

 purchase ; it is the same sort of satisfaction that a man gets when 

 he pays Si 00.000 for a trotting horse, just as satisfying to the mind 

 of man as many things that are purchased with the cash that the 

 fruit brings. And to make sure that your outlay so far shall 

 pay regular dividends you must give it care and dressing, for a 

 neglected fruit tree will never have a thrifty, tidy appearance. 

 When the orchard comes to bearing if it has been kept in the con- 

 dition described, it will not be in debt to the man that has cared for 

 it, one cent ; he has got his pay as he went along A person that 

 enjoys such work, as he will after he gels interested in it, could 

 not, in our opinion buj' more genuine pleasure in any other way 

 with the money that it has cost. From such an orchard there will 

 be a large proportion of No. 1 fruit that can be readily exchanged 

 for cash and be sure to send an occasional barrel to some poor 

 family. The reward is ample ; it will pay in ihe end ; you will 

 have pleasant memories in the decline of life that money cannot 

 buy. So that in looking at the picture in all its bearings, not only 

 with the apple but the pear, plums and small fruits, the rewards 

 for our labors are ample taking health and pleasure at a low cash 

 value. Even if we get but one dollar per barrel I see no cause for 

 discouragement to the one that is thoroughly interested in his work. 

 There will be many half-hearted ones that will either drop out 

 by the way or fail to give the business that care and attention that 

 success calls for to give a fair remuneration even in dollars and 

 cents. 



DISCUSSION. 



Prof. Cook of Manchester participated in the talk and took 

 occasion to severely condemn the practice of marketing inferior 

 fruit. Others who took part were Messrs. Gerrish, Wheeler, War- 

 ren, Pope, Gilbert, Clifford and Prof. Munson. Several speakers 



