150 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



into trees and fruit. He can't do too much for his trees or do 

 it too well. Bryant makes us feel this when he says: 

 "Come, let us plant the apple-tree. 



Cleave the tough greensward with the spade ; 



Wide let its hollow bed be made ; 



There gently lay the roots, and there 



Sift the dark mould with kindly care, 

 And press it o'er them tenderly. 



As round the sleeping infant's feet 



We softly fold the cradle sheet; 

 So plant we the apple-tree." 

 Bryant was not a disciple of Stringfellow. You lose all 

 of the poetry and all of the sentiment of the orchard when 

 you. plant a tree in a hole made with a crow-bar and suffer it 

 to remain in sod, that you may, to quote Mr. Hitchings, "do 

 a good business in growing strawberries, green peas and early 

 potatoes." The "Divinity which orders Nature" never meant 

 that an orchard should be so planted and so cared for. 



In chemistry, physics, astronomy and all of the exact 

 sciences, the workers constitute a jury of keen, trained men, 

 before which new doctrines can be tried. The jury is always 

 sitting and false doctrine is quickly weeded out. Agriculture 

 has no such jury. Its workers are scattered; many are apa- 

 thetic ; they dift"er in training and in degree of intelligence ; 

 and they speak many languages. There can, therefore, be no 

 suitable jury to try new doctrine, and there are no recognized 

 authorities to approve or disapprove of them. It comes 

 about, therefore, that false and erroneous doctrines often grow 

 unheeded and choke out the true and the useful. Agricul- 

 ture needs now and ever to be defended against false doc- 

 trine.- I am venturing to play the part of a defender this 

 morning, and if I have gone far in defense of tillage and in 

 condemnation of sod-mulch, it is because there is need. 



Following this very able paper the subject was discussed 

 at length. 



Discussion. 



A Member : There is a theory that apples keep bet- 

 ter raised on sod than on tilled ground. 



