44 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



den. Having but limited means, and keeping within those 

 limits, I made but very slow progress, and was three or four 

 years reclaiming my meadow. The stone, gravel, &c., was 

 wheeled on a wheelbarrow from five to fifteen rods. The cost 

 of reclaiming the meadow in this way was about three dollars 

 to the square rod, or $480 to the acre. But I must charge the 

 upland with half of that amount ; for every load used to raise 

 the meadow was taken out of the way from the upland. It 

 would thus leave the expense of the meadow at the rate of 

 $240 per acre. 



In the year 1841, 1 received a few fruit trees of choice kinds, 

 from a nursery near Boston, which was the commencement of 

 my setting fruit trees ; and from this date I made it my prac- 

 tice to set a few trees each year, of the best varieties. I would 

 here mention, that wishing to avail myself as much as possible 

 of useful information in regard to farming, gardening, and the 

 management of fruit trees, I became a subscriber to the Boston 

 Cultivator, at its commencement, in 1840. Since that time I 

 credit its editors and numerous correspondents with much valu- 

 able information. The more I studied into the art of garden- 

 ing and growing fruit trees, the more lively interest I took in 

 the same — not more for the profit than by the beauty of the 

 scenery, to make home the more sweet. In 1843, I transplant- 

 ed to a row by themselves, a few small apple trees, that had 

 come up spontaneously about my place ; and the following 

 year I pursued the same course, at which time the row num- 

 bered about one hundred thrifty trees. In 1845, the largest of 

 these I had grafted, and at the present time, one of these trees 

 has fruit on it, being only six years from seed and four from 

 graft. 



In 1846, I concluded to commence a small nursery of fruit 

 trees. Having previous to this obtained Downing's work on 

 Fruit and Fruit Trees, and also Thomas's and Kenrick's upon 

 the same subject, I had studied their manner of treating fruit 

 trees, both in the nursery and as standards, and could fancy 

 much pleasure in the same. At this time I sowed seed of va- 

 rious kinds, and bought a few seedlings suitable to bud the 

 succeeding summer. My meadow being now about completed 



