FARMS. 155 



farmer, who informs us that the good eifects of guano are dis- 

 tinctly visible after five years. 



An experiment with salt and lime mixed with meadow mud, 

 on a pretty large scale, has been made this fall by one of our 

 farmers. The result must be looked for in other years, thougji 

 it is right to add that the grain that was sown came up well, 

 and now looks flourishing. A hundred bushels of Turks Island 

 salt were used in this trial. 



In some parts of the county the crop of apples was very small, 

 chiefly in those towns where the least attention has been paid 

 to fruit-growing ; in others, the crop was good. The bloom 

 was full, but the wet and cold weather which immediately fol- 

 lowed caused the young fruit to blast and fall. Some persons 

 had thought that they perceived a tendency towards a general 

 deterioration of apple orchards. Fortunately the farmers do 

 not participate in this idea. Not a single fact strikes the trav- 

 eller more agreeably in every town, than the sight of young and 

 flourishing orchards, giving promise of future harvests. We 

 could refer to many farms which, within ten years, have been 

 iijjfreased in value to the extent of a thousand dollars solely by 

 tfie planting of orchards. There is no danger of overdoing this 

 business. The demand is steady and increasing for good apples 

 at remunerating prices. One farmer infers from his experience 

 that an acre of apple-orchard, well tended, will yield more profit 

 than four acres of grass. All fruit that is not fit for market or 

 for consumption in the family, may be turned to advantage in 

 feeding stock. 



The soil for young orchards should be strong, — no matter if 

 rocky, — ploughed deep, well drained, and kept in high cultiva- 

 tion for several years. The most thrifty we have seen are in 

 very rocky land that had been used for a long time as pasture. 

 Our experienced fruit-growers recommend large holes for the 

 young trees, filled with fine compost and rich soil, but never 

 with rank and green manure. A common error is to set the 

 trees too near to each other. In favorable circumstances they 

 spread rapidly, and if placed nearer than thirty feet of each 

 other, will in a few years interfere. A mulching of leaves or 

 straw is advisable in dry seasons. Too much care cannot be 



