FRUIT ON THE FARM. 257 



small trees, averaging about two feet high, which I bought for 

 six cents each. I cut the small trees back to within a foot or 

 less of the ground, and in four year's they had fully caught up 

 with the large ones, and came into bearing just as soon. 



So thoroughly convinced am I of the superiority of young 

 trees, that I would plant them if they cost fifty per cent more 

 than larger ones, instead of considerably less. 



Selection of Varieties. Many mistakes are made under 

 this head, and the more common one is to plant too many kinds. 

 It is a matter, too, in which the advice given in books is of little 

 value, for each soil and locality has its varieties which are 

 suited to it, and often a variety that will give good satisfaction 

 in one locality may be nearly worthless fifty miles away. Every 

 one intending to plant an orchard should take pains for some 

 months beforehand to inquire among his neighbors as to what 

 kinds have been most prolific and regular bearers, and have sold 

 best in the market, and given the best satisfaction in the fam- 

 ily. This matter becomes one of special importance in commer- 

 cial fruit growing; and in planting for this purpose a few lead- 

 ing varieties will usually give a large profit, while an orchard 

 planted with a large number will often prove unprofitable. 



To illustrate this, I planted in 1860 an orchard containing 

 one hundred apple and three hundred peach trees. I had little 

 experience in fruit growing, and thought it best to plant a great 

 number of varieties and so planted nearly thirty varieties of apple 

 and fifteen of peach. The result was that fully three-fourths of 

 the orchard never paid for planting, while the remaining fourth 

 gave a very large profit. Nearly all the money made from 

 apples came from three varieties, Baldwin and Smith-cider, for 

 winter fruit, and Maiden Blush for summer, of which the or- 

 chard contained about twenty trees. If the entire orchard had 

 been of these varieties the profit would have been increased 

 from $500 to $1,000. Three varieties of peach, Crawford's 

 Early, Honest John, and Cooledge's Favorite, of which there 

 were seventy-five trees, gave more profit than all the rest of 

 the orchard. 



It will not do to be governed by the advice of some one in 



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