378 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



monly confine them.selve.s to two or three at the utmost, 

 whereas every man would like to have his ta])le supplied with 

 a large variety and through a longer season. (2) This 

 means that the selection of varieties for the home garden 

 should be so arranged as to produce this required succession, 

 (o) In the home garden quality will be considered chiefly, 

 whereas in the connnercial orchard })rolificacy in bearing and 

 high color of the fruit are primarily sought for. (4) Old 

 favorites will be es})ecially considered in the home garden. 

 Every man has some particular a})ple which he especially fan- 

 cies, perhaps on account of some old association or for some 

 less obvious reason. All such varieties should l)e cherished 

 in the home garden, although it would be a fatal mistake to 

 })lant them for profit. (5) As regards api)les particularly, 

 one more ol)servation may be made, i.e., that a much larger 

 percentage of sunmier and autumn varieties may be planted 

 in the home garden than could be justified in the market 

 orchard. 



With these principles in view, I will now name those fruits 

 amongst which the grower would most naturally choose in 

 making up a list for a small home garden in Massachusetts. 

 It should be understood, of course, that I do not recommend 

 the planting of this entire number, nor, indeed, do I insist 

 upon an}^ particular variety. I have already said that every 

 man must follow his own preference and judgment very 

 largely. When one is planting for commercial purposes, he 

 has to meet the requirements of the market ; when he plants 

 for himself, he suits his own taste. 



Apples. — Red Astrachan is perhaps one of the first apples 

 to be ready for eating in this latitude. It is of very brisk 

 and tart flavor, and answers the purpose for producing the 

 yearly cases of apple colic so much required in a thriving 

 family of farm boys. For this good work it should not be 

 overlooked. It makes good ap})le-sauce, and is attractive for 

 some other reasons, but its chief merit is its earliness. 



Early Harvest is usually held to be an apple of much better 

 quality than the last, although there is a difterence of opinion 

 on this point. It is a good eating ap})le, however, and fairly 

 good for cooking, so that it falls into the succession very 

 nicely. 



