168 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



for himself from the various sources heretofore alluded to, and 

 others which may be within liis reach, where he will find the 

 facts and convincing proof of these facts which could not be 

 collected and spread before you in this report. I cannot close 

 without particular reference to the excellent report of your own 

 committee of last year, which contains much that is worthy of 

 careful consideration ; also to the report of Mr. Ives, of Salem, 

 and the address of Marshall P. Wilder, all of which may be 

 found in the Agriculture of Massachusetts. Examine them care- 

 fully and you will be richly rewarded; one word more, learn 

 to handle an apple without bruising it, which is my first com- 

 mandment. 



Respectfully, for the committee, 



Jonas A. Marshall, Chairman. 



Statement of C. C. Field. 

 The orchard which I offer for premium consists of one hun- 

 dred and eighty trees. Most of them were transplanted in the 

 spring of 1848, and the remainder in 1849 ; the latter were of 

 the same age from the budding as the former, and they are now 

 quite as large. Before setting the trees, the holes were dug 

 four feet in diameter, and from fifteen to eighteen inches deep. 

 The sods and surface soil, together with a small quantity of 

 swamp muck in dry places, where the trees would be likely to 

 be affected by drouth, were returned to the bottom of the holes ; 

 the finest and best part of the soil in the vicinity of the holes 

 was carefully placed around and above the roots, using the 

 hands when necessary ; and then the subsoil was spread on the 

 surface. The trees were set a little lower than they stood in 

 the nursery. One row of nine trees had a horse-cartload of 

 " horn piths " to every three trees, placed in the bottom of the 

 holes, but they are no better now than many others. The whole 

 ground, where about one-fourth part of the orchard was planted, 

 has been under constant cultivation with corn, potatoes or 

 fodder corn, and here the trees have made the best growth. 

 About one-half of the orchard has been cultivated all the time 

 except three years ; one year wheat or rye was raised, and two 

 years grass. The remaining one-fourth has been in grass all the 

 time ; but a large circle around the trees has been dug up here 



