59 

 FRUIT— FOR THE BEST COLLECTION. 



APPLETO^^ PKEMIUM. 



The Committee appointed to award the special premiums of- 

 fered by Mr. Francis H. Appleton for the best collections of 

 fruit — would award the first premium of $15 to Benj. P. Ware 

 of Marblehead, and the second of $10 to Peter Wait of Dan- 

 vers. Mr. Appleton, in offering these premiums, has expressed 

 his own belief in fruit raising, and shown his desire that it 

 shall be entered into intelligently, and after thorougli* investiga- 

 tion. He does not offer a premium for the largest collection, 

 but for the best — the best varieties as well as the best specimens. 

 It is a mistake often made by beginners, that of getting too 

 many varieties, — and those not adapted to their own soil and 

 locality — of consulting books and fruit catalogues, more than 

 their practical neighbors, who have for years made fruit-grow- 

 ing a profitable business. For instance : a man in Marblehead 

 might wish to put a portion of his farm into an orchai'd, think- 

 ing to grow fruit for the market. His soil, perhaps a strong, 

 clay loam, he would find after consulting with his neighbors, 

 was very well adapted to the pear ; and he could easily ascer- 

 tain what varieties were the most profitable in his own immedi- 

 ate neighborhood ; also the best mode of culture, etc. Another 

 man in Methuen, on a different soil, and removed from the sea 

 air, might find other varieties succeeded better with him. 

 Some 12 or 14 years ago, we planted about 75 pear trees upon 

 our farm — 25 of these were Bartlett — the others, two of a kind 

 of those most highly recommended, from the earliest to the 

 latest. This year they all bore bountifully, and as they could 

 not be used in the family, a large part were sold in our nearest 

 market. The Bartletts in their season (and we let them liana: 

 upon the trees as long as possible) sold readily at |10 jjer 

 barrel. The others were sold in small lots as they ripened, and 

 with difficulty brought $1 50 and f2 per bushel — even such 

 varieties as Belle Lucrative, Flemish Beauty and Urbaniste. 

 Had there been enough to have made it an object, they would 

 liave brought more ; but aside from the trouble of marketing 

 so many sorts, had the trees all been Bartletts, the fruit would 



