98 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



yard, in which are growing grapes, raspberries, gooseberries, 

 strawberries, currants, and other fruits. 



At the time of my purchase of the place there was standing 

 thereon an orchard, consisting mostly of old trees, with a few 

 young grafted ones. My first effort was made to regenerate 

 the orchard, by reclaiming the unproductive land on which it 

 was situated, and increasing the wealth of the soil. To this 

 end blind ditches, three feet deep, were dug on intersecting 

 lines through the lot, filled with stone, carefully placed so as to 

 form a small culvert or open passage for the water throughout 

 the whole course of the drains. The surface was deeply 

 spaded and ploughed, and liberally supplied with sand, loam, and 

 manure of various kinds. The trees, which showed few signs 

 of vitality, were cut down and removed ; and the remainder, 

 under the process of scraping and pruning and by the improved 

 quality of the soil, were revived and stimulated to a vigorous 

 growth. Such as did not bear good marketable fruit were 

 grafted ; and several of the young trees, of a size from six to 

 eight inches in diameter, were successfully transplanted. All 

 survived the removal, and most of them were in full blossom 

 and bore fair fruit the first year. They were, however, taken 

 up, with very little disturbance of their roots, and removed 

 with great care. 



This orchard has been constantly supplied from year to year 

 with new varieties of trees, some from my own nursery, and 

 others from other sources. Upon these varieties, introduced 

 since my purchase of the place, I mainly rely for my best fruit. 



The orchard now contains one hundred and seventy apple 

 trees, two hundred and fifty peach trees, forty pear trees, one 

 hundred and twenty-five quince trees, thirty-five plum trees, 

 and twenty-five cherry trees, besides some apricots and Eng- 

 lish and common walnuts. 



In the selection of trees, I have aimed to obtain such varie- 

 ties as would yield a constant supply of fruit through each 

 successive season of the year. My early fruit tiers are decid- 

 edly the most profitable — their fruit always commanding a 

 ready market and a good price. This season, my early apples 

 — which are the first in market — were sold, some at, one dollar, 

 and some at two dollars, per bushel; and most of my winter 



