Fruit -Grozuing' as a Specialty. 93 



drawing was made was one from a field of this variety grown from seed 

 raised by Mr. George W. Pierce of Maiden, Mass. Weight of specimens 

 seven and a half pounds ; diameter ten and a half inches ; circumference 

 thirty-one inches ; length of foliage twenty-nine and a half inches. 



To grow^ the cauliflower to perfection, the soil should be new, deeply dug, 

 and highly enriched. An open, clear exposure should always be selected, 

 free from the shade of trees or buildings. No particular skill will be re- 

 quired during their period of growth. The soil should be frequently stirred, 

 and kept free from weeds. 



Owing to the excessive heat of our summers, the attempts made at rais- 

 ing seed here often fail; consequently good seed is scarce, and always com- 

 mands high prices. Most of the seed sold by seedsmen comes from 

 Europe, where, owing to the mildness of climate, it is grown with more 

 certainty. C. N. B. 



FRUIT-GROWING AS A SPECIALTY. 



A GENTLEMAN in charge of the agricultural department of an Eastern 

 paper of large circulation has raised the question, wiiether fruit-growing as 

 a specialty can be depended on for a livelihood. 



It cannot be denied that persons engaged in the culture of fruit meet 

 many times with disappointments ; but it would be well, before condemning 

 the business,' to inquire into the causes of failures, and see whether the 

 trouble is not chargeable more to the person engaged in it than to the 

 business. One great cause of failure is inexperience in the culture of fruit. 

 Very few of those who embark in the business know any thing about it ; 

 and, if they make great mistakes, it cannot be wondered it, any more than 

 the mistakes of inexperienced merchants or manufacturers. 



There is no occupation where a thorough knowledge is of more impor- 

 tance than in fruit-growing. 



Another cause of disappointment is the unsuitableness of the locality 

 for the kinds of fruit cultivated. In selecting a locality for fruit, it is im- 

 portant to know how severe the winters are ; whether it is subject to 



