170 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Yellow Bough, six Williams' Favorite, six Roxbuiy Russet, 

 six Fameuse, six Red Astrachan, five Seaver Sweet, four Hunt 

 Russet, four Ledge Sweeting, and three Colchester. 



With the exception of a few trees, the orchard was planted 

 in the spring of 1854. The trees are set in the quincunx form, 

 at a distance of thirty feet from each other. Peach trees were 

 set among the apples, but eventually it is expected that the 

 whole ground will be occupied and covered by the apple trees 

 alone. The soil is a strong loam, sufficiently retentive of moist- 

 ure, and capable of producing upwards of ninety bushels of corn 

 to the acre, if weighed previous to drying. 



At the time of setting the orchard the land was in sward. 

 Preparations were made by digging holes five feet in diameter, 

 and twenty-two inches deep. These were filled with sods and 

 loam, and the trees carefully planted. They varied in size 

 somewhat, having cost from twenty-five to fifty cents each, a 

 rather large price I am aware, but I have not seen occasion 

 since to regret the purchase of such fine specimens. 



I applied different manures and special fertilizers by mixing 

 them with the loam used in filling up around the trees at the 

 time of planting, but I have not been able yet to discover that 

 any one of them possessed advantages over the others, or in 

 fact that any benefit has accrued from the use of either of 

 them. 



In 1851 the only cultivation attempted was once pulling 

 weeds. In 1855 the whole ground was ploughed and planted, 

 and has been kept under cultivation ever since. I have 

 manured but moderately, and with the exception of a portion of 

 the ground which has this season carried a fine corn crop, I 

 have cultivated roots. I find, however, from the rapidly in- 

 creasing shade, more especially from the peach trees, that I 

 shall have to give up cropping altogether very soon, but cannot 

 bring myself to believe that I can afford to relinquish culti- 

 vation. 



The average annual growth of the whole orchard since the 

 first season, has been about eighteen inches. The Baldwin is 

 the finest grower, while the Roxbury Russet and Coggswell are 

 nearly as good. Specimens of each of these will measure thir- 

 teen inches in circumference at a foot from the ground, and 

 two or three of them fourteen and a half inches. The most 



