61 



fair, and luscious fruit. Some have pendulous branches, like 

 the willow, and their fruit hangs swinging with every breeze, 

 and joyfully seems to pass the time from summer to harvest. 

 The fruit spurs of some are stifi" and strong, and the fruit ad- 

 heres closely to the branches and remains stationary till sud- 

 denly disturl)ed. All of these different habits or peculiarities 

 are so marked and distinct, that the cultivator can easily deter- 

 mine by the tree just what kind of fruit it bears, and in his 

 selection of trees in the nursery, can decide the different va- 

 rieties by the color of foliage, and general habits of growth. 



In the above treatise I have endeavored to answer your 

 questions in as detailed a manner as I could possibly, and do 

 it briefly. There is much that might be said and written in 

 favor of the cultivation of the apple ; there is no fruit that so 

 largely enters into all the different uses to which we are in 

 the habit of placing fruit. For culinarj' purposes the apple 

 is far ahead of all fruits ; for the table it is not surpassed ; 

 for preserves and drying, no other fruit is so universally used. 

 In fact the apple is our constant friend ; from July to July 

 again we have it on our tables, and with us it is a joy forever. 



Year after year we are greeted with the rich abundance of 

 our orchards. When the trees of the Old Bay State fail to 

 give us returns, we turn to the Empire State and the great 

 West for a supply, and seldom look to them in vain. If the 

 trees in one section of our country fail to produce an abun- 

 dant crop, those of other sections fiil not, and transportation 

 from one place to another makes the supply universal, and 

 distributes the luxury with a balance as just as the wants of 



demand and supply call for. 



• 



Of all the fruits by man possessed, 

 We deem the Apple much the best. 

 Yeai- after year on crops depend, 

 The Apple proves a constant friend. 

 Both food and drink in it combined, 

 These, for the body and the mind, 

 Throughout our land, the East, the "West, 

 Pronounce it first, pronounce it best. 



