114 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The apple, the king of all tree fruits for the production 

 of which New England has been justly celebrated for years, 

 deserves greater consideration than is usually accorded it; 

 and, in my opinion, the agricultural interests here repre- 

 sented would be acting wisely in urging a more general 

 planting of large areas of apple orchards at this time, when 

 in the fruit regions of Michigan, Ohio and New York this 

 industry has been greatly neglected. In the sections re- 

 ferred to the plantings of forty and fifty years since are 

 rapidly passing away, and to a great extent, except in a few 

 locations, but little effort is being made to replace them. 

 This, too, in the face of an increasing demand from the 

 British Isles and various European countries for choice 

 American apples. What more encouraging field for the 

 New England agriculturist, who has the soil and location 

 suited to the culture of this fruit ? 



The various insect pests are increasing in their work of 

 devastation, with no effort on the part of the slothful to pre- 

 vent it ; hence the opportunities are constantly widening for 

 intelligent ambition, that are full of promise. 



For years fears have been expressed of the over-produc- 

 tion of the apple ; and I have in mind instances where 

 parties have uprooted young orchards just coming into bear- 

 ing, some of whom have lived to regret the mistake. It is 

 claimed by one well posted in the apple industry, that, 

 taking the country through, not to exceed one-sixteenth of 

 the apple trees procured of the nurserymen ever live to be 

 commercially productive. This on account of improper 

 selection of sorts, of subsequent neglect on the part of the 

 average planter, etc. If this be true, and I am inclined to 

 think it may be, the danger of over-production is quite re- 

 mote. Again, another assuring feature of the industry is 

 that in the apple regions of the United States and Canada 

 there is little chance of a crop bearing heavy or even fair 

 in more than one-third of the apple territory in any one 

 year ; and this must continue to be so to a greater or less 

 extent, until the habits and wants as well as the varieties 

 themselves are better understood. There certainly is room 

 at the top for the apple grower of the future. 



I have referred to the pear as one of the profitable orchard 



