126 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



quality must now satisfy the most fastidious. The old maxim 



was, 



" He that plants pears, 

 Plants for his heirs," 



but, thanks to Yan-Mons, and other pear culturists, we can plant 

 pear-trees one year and gather fruit from them the next. While 

 the pear is not so lasting a fruit as the apple, it is more luscious, 

 and both for the dessert and for cooking is more universally 

 liked, and commands a much higher price. We hope therefore 

 to see more pear orchards started in the county. 



The roots of the pear-tree run more perpendicularly into the 

 ground than the apple. Pears, therefore, require a deep, dry 

 soil, and are less injured by the extreme droughts to which our 

 climate is exposed. As their limbs also run up more perpen- 

 dicularly they will bear to be planted more closely than the 

 apple, so that on a given plot we can plant twice as many pear 

 as apple trees. 



A mistake of many young orchardists is to put out too great 

 a variety. There is only one best variety. Amateurs differ as 

 to which is the best, but all agree that the varieties of both apples 

 and pears which are letter A, are few in number. 



Another mistake is to plant too closely. While the young 

 trees are mere whip-stalks, they seem far enough apart, but ere 

 we are aware, their branches are interlaced and the sun's rays 

 are excluded. 



Alexander Hyde, Chairman. 



GRAIN CROPS. 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH. 



Statement of P. McMahon. 

 Indian Corn. — Seven acres of corn entered for premium has 

 been a pasture, ploughed, April, 1869, with a Michigan plough: 



Expense, 121 00 



140 ox-loads of barn cellar manure, . . . 280 00 

 Spreading and ploughing with one horse, . . . 10 00 



