60 THE CONNECTICUT POMOEOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ill apples right here at home. Our soil is an everlasting mine, 

 never to be exhausted, like the gold and silver mines of the 

 West, when given the proper care and attention. Our atmos- 

 phere is one vast reservoir of oxygen whereby our fruit trees 

 may breath and be stimulated to make a healthy and vigorous 

 growth. Our elevations furnish locations whereby our or- 

 chards may be removed from the damp, muggy atmosphere of 

 the lower ele\'ations as well as furnishing such air drainage as 

 to protect our trees from late spring and early fall frosts. The 

 greatest good a writer or speaker on horticultural topics can 

 do today is not to endeavor to instruct on the different details 

 connected with the growing and marketing of apples, but 

 rather to try to inspire their readers and hearers to a more 

 optimistic view of the apple industry, to encourage them to 

 apply some of the same principles of gumption to apple grow- 

 ing that they do to animal husbandry or other lines of crop 

 production. 



In establishing, developing and maintaining a small or a 

 commercial orchard in New England, these things are neces- 

 sary and the success attained will be in proportion to the pos- 

 session of these three qualities : First, a liking for the busi- 

 ness. We talk about our boys and girls having a talent for 

 such and such a line of work. It must be equally so with the 

 successful fruit grower ; he must have not only a talent for the 

 business, but likewise a lo\'e of it, for it is a long road to achieve 

 success in apple culture and he will be beset by so many dis- 

 appointments and obstacles as was Pilgrim when in search of 

 the Holy City. Second, a thorough knowledge of the techni- 

 cal side of the subject. \Vhile apple culture is not a science 

 but rather an art, the latter can and should be largely influenced 

 by scientific investigations and thought. To illustrate the im- 

 portance of this theoretical knowledge I would mention the 

 necessity of a knowledge of the maintainance of soil fertility, 

 the philosophy of tree growth as it applies to the apple. The 

 chemical analysis of the tree and the fruit and the eft'ect upon 

 the latter by different elements towards influencing a change 

 in color, texture and keeping quality. \\'hile this theory must 

 all be worked out in practice it is as essential for the easy, 

 quick solution of the problems involved as that an architect 



