MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 21 



which shall be in the best thriving condition in 1848, shall be 

 subjects for premiums. The quality of the fruit is not, there- 

 fore, to be considered, and, if it were, very few trees set out 

 within the time prescribed would be in a bearing state, in the 

 autumn of the present year. Owing to this restriction, the 

 committee were not at liberty to award a premium on peach 

 trees to a gentleman, who, beyond all doubt, had the best trees 

 and fruit which fell under their examination. The committee 

 viewed several plantations, both of apples and peaches, which 

 do great credit to the cultivators, and which will be fair and. 

 probably successful competitors for premiums another year. 



From John Gordon, Brighton. — In the piece of land occu- 

 pied by me, as a fruit garden, there is about two acres ; nearly 

 three fourths of it is a light, sandy loam, the sub-soil is mostly 

 a yellow loam. The other part, when I commenced laying out 

 my garden, in the spring of 1842, was composed of a stiff, 

 clayey substance. I should think that a considerable part of it 

 was the wash from the road, with a sub-soil so hard that I had 

 to use a pick to stir it. I have, for the last four years, spaded 

 it every spring, and have gone a little deeper every year. 

 When I set out my trees, I dug a hole about 2 feet deep and 3 

 feet wide, and have, usually, put from 1 to 2 wheelbarrow 

 loads of compost manure to each tree, and a good dressing of 

 manure every spring. I have, in this piece, about 40 apple 

 trees, 60 peach trees, 40 plum, and 400 pear trees. About half 

 of the pears are on quince and the rest on pear stocks. 



I have another piece of land, on v/hich there is about 60 

 apple and 70 peach trees. This land, in 1840, was, most of it, 

 very rough, and I considered most of it hardly worth cultivat- 

 ing. I think it cost me from 1 to 2 hundred dollars to dig, 

 blast, and carry off the stones. Some of them were so large, 

 that it took a number of loads of gravel and loam to fill their 

 places. I then spread a good coat of manure, and ploughed it 

 in as deep as I could, and have manured it well, every year 

 since. 



I headed in the appl^|rees, four years, and the peach trees, 

 three years. I have endeavored to keep them as free from in- 

 sects, as I could spare time to do. I have twice used a wash, 



