38 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the surface smooth for laying oif the orchard and setting the 

 trees, by no means an nnim])ortant item. After the trees 

 were set, which I shall speak of more in detail in a moment, 

 the land was kept thoroughly cultivated until time for sow- 

 ing the cover crop, about July 10. There was always a 

 team at work in the orchard, and sometimes two of thou. 

 And, notwithstanding the fact that we had one of the driest 

 seasons within the memory of the proverbial oldest inhabit- 

 ant, and the further fact that our soil was shy of humus 

 (an extremely important factor in holding moisture in the 

 soil), there was never a time throughout the season when the 

 soil was not as moist as could be wished just under the dust 

 mulch. It was certainly a striking indication of the value 

 of cultivation. As soon as the trees had been set, an ounce 

 of nitrate of soda was scattered about each tree ; while basic 

 slag at the rate of 400 pounds per acre, and sulphate of 

 potash at the rate of 200 pounds per acre, were applied a 

 little later. Tlie result was that nearly all of our trees gave 

 us an entir(?l3' satisfactory growth this season, in spite of the 

 past neglect of the soil. The apples grew from ll/o to S^-o 

 feet, and many of the peaches as much, though, being on a 

 drier soil, they did not average as much as the apples. 



This matter of fertilizing is one which we intend to fol- 

 low up, for I am firmly convinced that it is a very important 

 factor in success with orchards. I believe there is as much 

 difference in quality between a well-fed apple and one which 

 is grown on poor, run-out soil, as there is between a beef- 

 steak from a well-fed animal and one from a half-starved 

 beast. I am convinced that this is one of the impcu'tant 

 reasons why the western apples, grown on virgin soils, as 

 most of them are, have so much more attractive an appear- 

 ance than much of our eastern-grown fruit. An instance 

 bearing out this idea came to my notice on our farm this 

 season. One of the farms bought had a small Baldwin 

 orchard of 1 acre (adjoining the patch where the rye and 

 potatoes were grown), and also some scattering Baldwin 

 trees about the buildings, one of which stood just by the 

 hen yard, and where the ashes from the kitchen stove were 

 dumped. The fruit from this one tree was as different from 



