ORCHARD. 183 



A. C. HAMMOND, 



WAESAW, HANCOCK COUNTY. 



The Orchard — The Ben Davis the Most Popular Apple — Pears 

 — Cherries — Plums — Grape Fever — Fruit and Vegetable 

 Garden — Value of Evergreens for Hedges — Hay Crop. 



If not very numerous, we have at least some model farms, 

 well supplied with fine stock, thrifty orchards, handsome and 

 commodious buildings, in Hancock county. The northern and 

 eastern portions are well adapted to corn and stock growing, 

 and are mainly devoted to this industry, while the southwest 

 corner, along the Mississippi bluff, is one of the finest fruit- 

 growing sections in the State, and boasts of a number of large 

 and productive orchards. From them have been gathered the 

 fine collections of fruit that have taken so many premiums 

 and received so many commendations, during the past five 

 years, at the State Fairs, State Horticultural Societies, and 

 Winter meetings of the State Board of Agriculture. Some of 

 the finest consignments of apples that have gone to the St. 

 Louis market have been from this point. 



OECHAKD. 



My own specialty is the orchard, in which I have been 

 moderately successful. My orchard consists of seventy acres, 

 planted at different times from 1857 to 1877, the larger portion 

 of it now being in its prime. It is located three miles from 

 the bluff of the Mississippi river, on land that was originally 

 covered with hazel, crab-apple, and wild plum. 



The Ben Davis apple has been more extensively planted 

 than any other variety. Winesap, Jeannet, Willow Twig, Red 

 Canada, Jonathan, Rambo, Fryer's Red, Maiden's Blush, Red 

 Astrachan and Sops of Wine coming next. I have 200 varie- 

 ties growing in my orchard, at least three-fourths of them 

 being for experimental purposes only, and I am yearly adding 



