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In the third place, we took up orcharding on the scale on 

 which we did, because we believed that that was the way to 

 make it paj. I have repeatedly said, and I want to take 

 this occasion to say again, that I do not believe fruit grow- 

 ing in Massachusetts could be given a greater impetus than 

 by inducing 50 or 100 men throughout the State to plant 

 from 10 to 100 acres of orchard. The trouble with our 

 orcharding is, that it is usually a mere side issue to the gen- 

 eral farm work. As Professor Bailey has said, " Men do not 

 grow their crops of apples, they discover them." But when 

 men go into the business of orcharding more largely, making 

 it their principal line of work, then the orchard becomes an 

 object of pride and care ; it is no longer compelled to compete 

 with the cows and the bugs and the hay crop, but is sprayed 

 and cultivated and pruned and fertilized for its own sake. 

 But in urging this desirability of large-sized plantations I 

 wish it distinctly understood that I am well aware that it is 

 sometimes overdone, — that men plant out acres of orchard 

 where they should plant square rods. But for every orchard 

 in Massachusetts that is neglected because it is too large, 

 there are hundreds which are neglected because they are too 

 small. It is very difficult for any man to become enthusiastic 

 over a dozen Baldwin trees up in the back pasture, which 

 every alternate year give a few barrels of wormy apples ; it is 

 impossible not to become enthusiastic over a 10-acre orchard 

 which is every year the best paying part of the farm op- 

 erations. 



I might go on to cite cases where men have made com- 

 fortable livings out of small orchards and have become well- 

 to-do with larger ones ; for it has certainly been my observa- 

 tion that in those sections where orcharding flourished as a 

 business, — where, as some one has said, it is an industry 

 and not merely an incident, — there you will find the most 

 prosperous farms and the best farm homes. I say I might 

 go on to discuss this phase of the question, but I shall pass 

 that over and proceed with the real subject which I want to 

 discuss with you, — the planting of a commercial orchard ; 

 or shall I make it personal, and say the planting of our com- 

 mercial orchard ? 



