92 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



been favorable, we could not have expected a large crop, and it 

 is true that there was not a large crop. 



It may be asked, " If the apple tree has suffered to that 

 extent, why has not the pear ? How are you going to account 

 for the fact that the pear tree has given us good crops ? " But 

 it is not true that the pear tree has given us, during the last 

 three or four years, such large crops as in favorable seasons. 

 Another reply that I would make is, that the pear tree does not 

 require the moisture that the apple tree does. It does not 

 spread itself like the apple tree ; it does not make the same 

 amount of wood or foliage. And then, again, the pear, in nine 

 cases out of ten, perhaps forty-nine out of fifty, has better treat- 

 ment than the apple. In many cases it is mulched or otherwise 

 protected ; in many cases watered, and when watered, good 

 results have followed. Again, many pear trees about Cam- 

 bridge, Roxbury and other places are planted on low, moist soil, 

 where their roots penetrate where there is moisture. I believe 

 it is true of the apple tree that it requires a damper soil than 

 the pear and takes up more moisture because of the larger 

 amount of foliage and wood. 



It seems to me that we have thousands of acres lying remote 

 from cities, and yet close enough to railroads to secure cheap 

 transportation, where apples can be grown profitably, if we can 

 have such crops as formerly, for 11.50 a barrel. Why, then, 

 should we go to New York or Michigan and pay |5 a barrel, 

 and then not have them in ao good condition as we should get 

 them here ? I agree, it would not be good policy to plant apple 

 trees, where land is worth $5 an acre for smaller fruits. In 

 fact, I have taken up splendid Baldwin apple trees from my 

 land, and put them on land that was less valuable. It seemed 

 too bad, but my land is more valuable for grapes and other 

 small fruits. But still, there are thousands of acres that can 

 be profitably devoted to apple culture. I do not feel discour- 

 aged about it, any more than I do about my grapes, because my 

 grape crop was a perfect failure. I predict that we shall have 

 next year, a fine crop of apples. The two past wet seasons 

 have put them in condition. I have never seen them in better 

 condition than they are at the present time. I think no one of 

 us who writes at all for the papers should let down a particle 

 in regard to the apple crop. I want to know what people 



