•52 TIlll CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



csi)ecially suitable for tlie production of apples, and that is 

 wliat is descril)ed as the Holyoke stony loam; the report also 

 saitl that on the hills to the north and westerly of Northampton 

 are lands particularly suitable for the establishing of apple 

 orchards. This is the particular location where our orchards 

 are located. We have taken the' virgin forests and partly 

 cleared fields and plowed them and cut the brush and weeds 

 where\er necessar}- to establish our orchards on these lands, 

 w here we could have perfect air and water drainage, — on the 

 hillsides. 



One essential is that the trees shall be planted so they will 

 not ha\'e wet feet. We do not enjoy that condition, neither 

 does an apple tree : you can give them a large amount of mois- 

 ture as long as that moisture is not stagnant; keep it in circu- 

 lation. Just the moment it becomes stagnant the tree will 

 begin to shoxN- the effects of such a condition; the leaves will 

 droj) prematurely, the fruit will be small and insignificant. 



Great care should be taken in selecting nursery stock. De- 

 cide which varieties are best adapted to your locality. While 

 we have an advantage in New England of a large number of 

 \arieties I think we have macte the mistake of planting too 

 many varieties. I am an advocate of the Baldwin and some 

 call me a pretty narrow apple man. dlie latest application I 

 had was from the "seedless apple" man, showing me a speci- 

 men of his 'ssedless apple," but it had no attractions for me. 

 I am in the apple business largely because I love it and secondly 

 because of the monev there is in it. .\11 that I have or ever 

 hope to ha\'e must come through my success or failure in this 

 business, so I have cut out my path, trinmied m_v ship and the 

 Baldwin is what I have tied up to. 



A Member: How many trees have you? 



Mr. Miller : Something like 2,000 trees and I mean to 

 extend that number until I have 5,000, which number I believe 

 is all that one should attempt to look after. 



1 l)elie^'e it is lietter to plow and crop the land for a year 

 before you set tlie trees; tobacco is good for the first year. 



A Member: What is the matter with potatoes the first 

 year ? 



]\Ir. ^Iiller: They may be just as good; it is simply a 



