82 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



is no doubt at all that there are thousands upon thousands of 

 acres of land in our State — I do not know but I state it too 

 strongly, but thousands of acres — that are as well adapted to 

 apple culture as any land on the face of the globe. If this be 

 so, then this institution is the very institution that should under- 

 take this experiment, and demonstrate to our farmers that the 

 apple is a sure source of income ; that when skilfully cultivated, 

 it is almost a certain crop — more certain than any other crop 

 we grow. 



I feel that the great point to be considered among us just 

 now is this : that we study the exact habits of each kind of 

 fruit. Take the apple. Our soil is eminently fitted for the 

 culture of the apple, and consequently we must embark in it 

 largely. We ought to embark in it so largely that we shall not 

 only supply our own wants, but send to other portions of the 

 country less favored than ourselves ; and if our college has not 

 proper grounds, I do feel that the money of the institution can 

 be best expended in the purchase of some good location, where 

 they can demonstrate to the State what can be done with an 

 apple orchard. And so it is with other fruits. We are to study 

 the exact requirements of each fruit ; for we can grow, I had 

 almost said, every kind of fruit, if we will study the require- 

 ments of each kind carefully. As good grapes have been grown 

 in this State this year, when the rain-fall in September has been 

 thirteen and a half inches, as in any other State in the Union. 

 The same is true even of the peach. I do not mean to say that 

 grapes can be grown to such an extent that we can afford to sell 

 them at the price that has been stated by our Chairman, but we 

 can always sell them, I believe, at a remunerative price. I 

 think I should be willing to go further, and take even stronger 

 ground than has been taken here this evening. There is no 

 necessity for our selling our fruit at so low rates as have been 

 suggested. This year, notwithstanding the flood of fruit that 

 has been sent from the West, all the fruit we have raised has 

 been sold at remunerative prices. None of our home grapes 

 have been sold at less than twelve dollars a hundred. 



I want to allude once more to the apple. There is a differ- 

 ence between the population of this State and some other States. 

 In some States, where the population is large, the labor of chil- 

 dren is very abundant, and they can pick the small fruits — the 



