1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 145 



same. Then we want some crop for the money. Our 

 farmers want money just the same as the manufacturers and 

 merchants ; we want our boys to have money ; we want 

 them to dress well and have a good team to ride in ; and we 

 want them to have so much that they will stay on the farm. 

 [Applause.] And we want to so conduct farming that they 

 will consider it the best business in the world, as it is the 

 best business to-day. A young man with brains, if he has 

 two good legs (which I have not), can make money in farm- 

 ing right here in Massachusetts. [Applause.] 



Mr. Gold. The gentleman asked a question with regard 

 to fertilizers upon these orchards. I use all the wood ashes 

 that I can get in my vicinity to strew upon the surface in my 

 orchards. If I could get more, I should use more. I top- 

 dress also with barnyard manure a few acres here and there, 

 as the case may be, every year, and I know that the top- 

 dressing upon the orchard pays me as well as any other use 

 of the manure to which I could put it. There is one case in 

 our neighborhood where an orchard was top-dressed with 

 muck from a swamp, and the result was most marvellous for 

 two years ; but barnyard manure as a top-dressing is the 

 best, I think. 



Mr. Augur. I beg your pardon for taking up any more 

 time, but the question was asked in regard to new varieties, 

 and in regard to any becoming new standards, and I would 

 like to say a word. I was down in Maine last winter at the 

 meeting of the Board of Agriculture, and there was one 

 variety there that absorbed more time and more interest than 

 any other, and that was the Red Russet. I presume you are 

 familiar with it. It seemed to be the idea down there that 

 the Red Russet was the coming apple for shipping, and the 

 chief points in its favor were, first, that it was so vigorous a 

 grower, a handsome grower, as much so as any other ; again, 

 that the fruit was a good keeper, very good, fully equal to 

 the Baldwin, and perhaps better ; and then again, one of the 

 shippers who had shipped to Europe said that he began ship- 

 ping those Red Russets as Baldwins ; they took in the Eng- 

 lish market, and said he, " If I was going to ship again, I 

 should ship Red Russets." Well, that is a straw which shows 

 which way the wind blows. I have a good deal of faith in 



