STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 49 



to Boston there will be a demand for that apple, because of its 

 intrinsic value. 



The Jonathan is an illustration of choice quality, and who- 

 ever buys one barrel will want two. This is the principle on 

 which I would recommend the planting of orchards. 



For a short time, I want to speak to you of the import- 

 ance of bringing greater care to our orchard culture. I find, in 

 going through this State, the same conditions that exist in 

 New York, very much neglect of the apple orchards. You fol- 

 low the practice of putting out apple trees and then letting them 

 take care of themselves. The future demands a different culture 

 from this. If we are to take our apples into the markets, and 

 hold our position, we must put our orchards into fine culture, 

 and then we can compete with any portion of the world. In 

 the first place we must prepare the ground thoroughly, and 

 then we must give to that orchard continuous culture. We 

 must plant apple trees with reference to growing apples, not 

 with reference to growing hay and potatoes upon that land. 



VALUE OF TILLAGE. 



This brings us to the object and value of tillage. Tillage has 

 the same importance as the wise selection of buds in propaga- 

 tion. It is closely connected with this idea of bringing about the 

 early bearing of trees. Now tillage does two things for us ; it 

 enables us to supply the roots of the trees with the food they 

 need ; and to improve the condition of the soil so that plant 

 food is made available. In addition to this, tillage enables us 

 to control, in years of short supply, the water already in the 

 soil. During the past year tillage has been of the most import- 

 ance to the fruit crop of 1900. The orchards that have stood 

 in grass the past year will be found very weak in fruit buds ; 

 but orchards under thorough tillage, in this season of drouth, will 

 be found well supplied with fruit buds, and will probably have 

 a satisfactory crop next year. 



Farmers have been discouraged because they have been made 

 to believe their farms are worn out. They are nowhere near 

 worn out. It is true that the fertility in your soil in Maine is 

 sufficient in quantity to-day, to support millions and millions, 

 and the lesson for us to learn, the problem for us to solve, is how 



