42 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY [1879 



Quite recently a Pear-tree, of the Duchesse d' Angouleme 

 variety, somewhat famous in our records, was reheved of thir- 

 teen bushels of fruit. The owner — not an especially avaricious 

 man — complained that he was offered for them but two and 

 one-half dollars per bushel. That does seem to be an inade- 

 quate price. But — supposing, from one cause and another, 

 that it is all which can be obtained, how much better is it than 

 nothing "f Nay, — how near would it come to a fair return upon 

 the original investment, were that price averaged upon an acre ! 



From a table carefully compiled by the Messrs. Lawson, of 

 Edinburg, it appears that the number of trees which can be 

 planted upon an acre of ground, — at a distance apart of Thirty 

 (30) Feet, — is as follows : Irish acre, 79 ; Scotch acre, 60 ; Im- 

 perial acre, 48. Assume, then, that your tree is suffered to bear 

 ten (10) bushels of fruit, which will command but One Dollar 

 for each and every bushel ! Your trees cost — say $1.50 each, 

 being more or less manured. You would then get, in return of 

 the original investment, from an Irish acre, ^790 ; from a Scotch 

 acre, ^600 ; from an Imperial acre, (Yankee by Common and 

 Statute Law,) ^480. Does even the Missionary Enterprise, or 

 the Barre & Gardner Mortgage afford a better harvest. 



But, you will say, the market is glutted. The sum mentioned 

 was offered, however, for those bushels of Duchesse, and doubt- 

 less the purchaser felt assured of his customers. The distrust 

 is not without reason, nevertheless, and its removal depends 

 upon yourselves. 



The old Dutch Monopoly used to burn their nutmegs when 

 afraid that the world might be too highly spiced. It does not 

 seem to have occurred to them that the burden might be ad- 

 justed to the back; and that the tree which bore less might be 

 trained to bear longer. You cannot burn Apples or Pears, but 

 you can thin out so that one barrel of full-grown and well- 

 ripened fruit shall answer for and pay better than a hogshead 

 of smaller, immature, or imperfect specimens. You object that 

 to thin out your fruit exacts too much labor ! Possibly : — but 

 evade or escape the primal curse if you can ! You may say 



