34 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



the world what they can do in the production of apples, aod 

 you will give increased character and value to every farm 

 in Connecticut that is worth saving from the forest. There 

 are thousands of acres here in this state and in Massa- 

 chusetts that would better go back to the forest again. 

 Give them up, as a hopeless struggle ; but do not let any 

 good apple land go back into the clutches of the oaks and 

 the pines. 



I have always believed that if the pilgrim fathers had 

 known what was west of the Hudson river they would have 

 made a bee-line away from the coast, through the forest, 

 and never stopped until they struck better land. But I call 

 it a mighty good thing for this country that they did not 

 know what was back from the ocean. It is the character 

 ground out of rocks on the hills of New England that has 

 given strength and reputation to the nation, and you can- 

 not possibly weaken this country quicker than by driving the 

 young men and the young women, and the boys and girls 

 away from New England with the idea that they cannot 

 make a living back on the old farm. At the battle of 

 Bunker Hill the New England farmer fought beneath the 

 banner which bore a pine tree as a patriotic emblem ; to- 

 day the New England farmer might well fight a commer- 

 cial battle under a flag bearing the picture of a Baldwin 

 apple tree. 



I was greatly interested in listening to Mr. Morrill's 

 talk in regard to the cultivation of his peach orchard, for 

 I believe thoroughly in this constant cultivation of the soil. 

 You cannot possibly cultivate it too much. In some parts 

 of the country I observe that farmers who once believed 

 in pasturing stock in the orchard are now giving that up, 

 for they have become crazy on the subject of constant culti- 

 vation. This means that the clover crop is going out, for 

 the clover plant and cultivator cannot occupy the same 

 spot. This loss of the clover means more money to be 

 spent for purchased nitrogen, but the constant cultivation 

 gives a better tree. Some of the Delaware farmers have a 

 way of handling the southern cow pea that I think would 

 suit you orchard men. Down there they sow the southern 

 cow pea in drills three feet apart at the proper time, and 



