NINETEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 59 



there, and went up this main highway towards Mr. Drew's 

 place. I saw on one side of the road where Mr. Drew had 

 been at work, and over on the other side where an old- 

 time orchard was still in existence, and got some idea 

 of the possibilities of fruit culture in Connecticut. I 

 wish you all could take that trip and get the same impres- 

 sion I did. Just to see the marvelous transformation that 

 has been wrought, not only in the appearance of those 

 orchards, but in their bearing capacity. Just to see what 

 they yielded before they were cared for and what after- 

 wards. I think he said that on one orchard of about two 

 hundred trees where they were getting thirty to forty 

 barrels a year he can get now from five to seven hundred 

 barrels. It is a wondedful story. It is a wonderful les- 

 son to the pomologists of this state of what can be done. 

 You can go right up that highway and ask these people 

 that have got some of the old-time orchards there, and you 

 may be able to see a few bushels of respectable looking 

 apples. Then, on the other hand, if you went to those 

 trees that have been receiving some care, the same as the 

 ordinary farmer usually gives, and while you might see 

 some fair looking apples, you would not begin to see any- 

 thing like the splendid exhibit that we have seen here from 

 Mr. Drew's renovated orchard. By taking those old trees 

 and cutting off the tops, cutting out all the dead wood, 

 spraying and cultivating, by means of intelligent pruning, 

 this gentleman in three years has produced this marvel- 

 ous result. I tell you it is one of the greatest object les- 

 sons that has been put before the farmers of this state in 

 some time. 



If that same work was carried on all over this state, 

 is there anybody who is not a relation of Col. Sellers but 

 what can easily figure up what that would mean to the 

 state of Connecticut? How many thousands of farms 

 there are which produce a few inferior apples, on which, 

 if this same method was applied to them, could be made 

 to pay handsomely. How many farmers there are who 



