SECRETARY'S REPORT. 229 



A few years ago, when the army-worms were like to destroy 

 the wheat and grain crops, it was tliought to be a national 

 calamity ; and so it would have been, as bread is the staff of 

 life. But let us compare a little, and we shall find that the fruits 

 of all sorts consumed in this State, cost about equal to the 

 flour ; and still we allow armies of worms to devour our fruit- 

 trees, with hardly an effort to prevent them. Hence the prices 

 must increase. Formerly tlie farmers raised fruits ; now they 

 pay but little attention to them, and so the quantity does not 

 keep up to the demand. 



If farmers and gardeners could be induced to make some 

 figures in this matter of fruit-raising, they would see that it 

 costs $25 to 150 to raise an acre of corn, and get but 130 profit 

 on the whole acre ; while an apple-tree takes but a small portion 

 of an acre, and, with a slight annual outlay in labor, will yield 

 nearly as many dollars. 



Now, if these results cannot be reached by every one, we can 

 make the trial by spending a few hours' labor to protect, cleanse, 

 and renovate our trees. For new orchards, we say, set your 

 trees thick, if you have to cut out every other one, or more, 

 when they grow too large ; they thus protect each other, and 

 shelter the ground from the scorching rays of the sun. By plant- 

 ing maiiy trees on a given space, we can get a fair return while 

 they are growing, and not feel that a crop of vegetables or 

 roots must be raised among them. If the orchard be fenced 

 close enough for a poultry-yard, they would keep the ground 

 clear of weeds and insects, besides being a source of profit. If 

 this plan be followed out, an acre, properly located, can be made 

 to produce an annual income of a thousand dollars. 



Suppose it costs two hundred dollars to prepare and fence the 

 land, purchase one hundred and fifty trees, and set them out. 

 At the end of the first three or four years they will have paid 

 the first cost, if they have had but a slight annual outlay in 

 labor, after which the profit increases. 



Now lay the same amount out in sheep, and run the two for 

 ten years, keeping correct accounts of hay, grain, extra fence, 

 shearing, and the labor bestowed on each, and, we venture to 

 say, the sheep will be abandoned for the orchard. 



A few years ago a man bought some apple-trees that had been 

 taken up some three weeks or more, and were thought to be 



