loth March, A. D. 1898. 



ESSAY 



BY 



Professor JOHN W. CLARK, North Hadley, Mass. 



Theme: The Outlook for ProJitaUe Fruit Growing in Massa- 

 chusetts. 



In the early history of our State the planting of fruits was 

 simply for home use ; commercial orchards were not thought of. 



The varieties planted were those brought from the mother 

 country, and trees grown from seed without being grafted. 



In most cases the varieties brought from the mother country 

 proved unsatisfactory, and were replaced by the best of the 

 many seedlings that had sprung up among the colonies. This 

 was more especially true of the apple. In the earlier days of 

 the colonies, and for some time after, one of the chief uses 

 made of the apple was the production of cider and its products. 



In the fourth report of the Massachusetts State Board of 

 Agriculture (that of 1841) this statement is found in regard to 

 apple orchards : "Fruit is cultivated in the country at large to 

 a comparatively small extent, and since the progress of the tem- 

 perance reformation throughout the country, cider has fallen 

 into almost entire disuse. Apple orchards are neglected, and 

 young orchards are not planted as frequently as formerly." 

 This made the orchards composed of seedling trees bearing 

 their natural fruit of little value, and, being left to care for 

 themselves, they gradually died out, and for some time few 

 apple orchards of any great extent were planted ; but, as the 

 State increased in wealth and population, more and better fruits 

 were called for, and this caused a revival in the planting of 



