STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 33 



trees which they have had in their pastures and in their mowing 

 lots, and grafting them, they have made the apple a source of 

 large profit. And from this little valley has been taken, almost 

 every year, from six to twelve and as high as fifteen thousand 

 dollars worth of apples. The reason for their success is not 

 that this section is better located, or has better soil, or anything 

 of the kind, than many other sections ; but it has been primarily 

 that these farmers have understood the fundamentals that un- 

 derlie the successful growing of apples. "Better fruit" has 

 been in their minds. Their ideals have been high, and they 

 have worked continually to improve their crop. They have 

 adopted all the modern and scientific methods possible in grow- 

 ing their fruit, and the result is that they have a product that 

 finds a ready sale. It is also a section where they have followed 

 the plan of co-operation, that is, selling their entire crop as if 

 they were one individual. They have given an object lesson to 

 people of our state, and their work may be an object lesson 

 even to the farmers of Maine, that wherever there is a com- 

 munity engaged in the same kind of work, they may co-operate 

 in all their work and eiTorts, and particularly in the selling of 

 their product. 



I will complete this lecture by giving you a cordial invitation, 

 if you come to the western section of Alassachusetts, to visit 

 our orchards at any time or season of the year. It is a delight 

 for me to have visitors come from your state for the distinct 

 and special purpose of visiting the orchard. 



DISCUSSION. 



Ones. What do you use for fertilizer on all those trees? 



Ans. Our basis has always been stable fertilizer, supple- 

 mented by wood ashes. At our experiment station at Amherst 

 they have conducted experiments along that line, and the result 

 is, putting it briefly, that stable fertilizer gives the best growth 

 to the tree, and that wood ashes gives the best color to the 

 fruit, and fruit that matures the earliest. Now I have combmed 

 those two elements, and worked for both of those points, to 

 get a healthy, vigorous condition of the trees and also to get a 

 fruit of high color and of fine quality and early maturity. 



Ques. How do you keep up the fertility of the balance of 

 your farm? 



Ans. By a quick rotation of crops. 



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