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young orchards are not planted as frequently as formerly. This 

 is greatly to be regretted. Ripe fruit, as one quaintly observes, 

 was the food of Paradise. It is nutritious, and highly condu- 

 cive to the health of children and adults. But besides this, I 

 have the opinion of several farmers in the county, and of one 

 after twelve years' experience in the use of them, that, for fat- 

 ting both cattle and swine, apples are of equal value with 

 potatoes. This corresponds with the opinions of a great many 

 farmers in other parts of the State. 



XXVI. Agricultural Implements. — The common imple- 

 ments of husbandry do not differ from those in other parts of 

 the State. 



1. A ROLLER is scarcely known in the county ; but the farmers 

 would every where find great advantage from its use. The 

 farmers in the intervale lands object to its use ; the soil being 

 aluminous, they are of opinion that it would tend to consoli- 

 date it too much. There is not much in this objection, unless 

 the land is wet when it is rolled. Where it is dry and in a 

 proper condition the roller will serve to break the clods and re- 

 duce them to fineness, and thus effectually cover the seeds 

 which may be sown. On other lands its effects are always 

 beneficial, both in covering the seeds, in pressing the small 

 stones into the earth, and thus rendering the soil smooth for 

 the scythe, and oftentimes beyond a doubt in crushing and de- 

 stroying large numbers of pernicious insects. It is of great 

 advantage to pass it over the fields of young grain in the spring, 

 thus giving a firm hold to many plants which have been 

 thrown out by the frosts and might otherwise perish. 



Any farmer, familiar with the use of an axe and saw, may 

 soon supply himself at a trifling expense with a very useful 

 roller. But the most approved forms are of a large diameter, 

 made, for example, of four cast-off forward wheels of a 

 common wagon, and covered with plank in strips of three 

 inches thickness. In such cases, the axle should have a joint 

 in the middle, so as to render the turning at the ends of the 



