39 



lied on iu odd years. The old-fashioned Seek-No-Further will always be held in 

 high esteem, though not a large bearer. For marketing purposes Greenings and 

 Baldwins, especially Baldwins, surpass all others. The tree is sometmies too ten- 

 der, but on hilly country is vigorous. A friend of Mr. Gold's planted a whole 

 farm of forty or fifty acres to Baldwins, and for ten years the profits of his crop 

 have exceeded those of his neighbors' big farms. The American Golden Russett 

 is surpassingly excellent for late use. It will keep to the Fourth of July. The 

 Roxbury and English Russett will keep even later. The English Russett is a 

 good bearer in odd years, and sometimes bears more Apples than leaves ; but the 

 tree is somewhat tender. There shoiild be a few in every orchard. The North- 

 ern Spy is delicious, and an abundant bearer. The tree does not bear until rather 

 large, but then bears abundantly. It usually does well in odd years. In planting 

 for market it is best to plant but few varieties. Dealers will be less captious if 

 they have a limited number to select from. But in planting for one's own fami- 

 ly use, pains should be taken to have many kinds, early and late, for odd years 

 as well as even, and of different qualities for different uses. In shipping apples 

 it is a great advantage to ship by the car load whenever possible. The expense of 

 l)arreling is avoided, and the freight is less. To keep apples successfully, pick 

 them very carefully and barrel them in the field. Then put into out-buildings 

 that are cool and diy, and let them remain till November, if possible ; only be 

 careful not to let them get touched a particle by frost. When the weatlier gets 

 too cold to risk leaving the apples longer in the out-buildings, remove them to a 

 dry, cool cellar, where there is no fxirnace or strong-smelling vegetables, such as 

 turnips, onions, or cabbage, and everything is clean and sweet. Put the barrels 

 in two tiers, if possible, one over the other, those that are to be used first in the 

 upper tier. Having arranged them in this manner, never pick them ovee. 

 There can be no greater blunder than to pick over apj^les on the pretext of get- 

 ting out the rotten ones. An occasional rotten apple will do no particular harm 

 if undisturbed, while the picking-over process is almost invariably followed by 

 tbe rotting of the whole mass. 



Pears used to be called unhealthy, and they probably were in the days when 

 the choke pear was almost the only variety known. But good, sound, ripe pears, 

 of the kinds now grown, are as wholesome as they are excellent. There is no 

 fruit gives more variety than pears. The blight on the pear trees that has ap- 

 peai-ed ia late years, we are not yet able to overcome, but aside from that difficul- 

 ty, the pear has very much to recommend its cultivation. The pear passes its 

 maturity very rapidly. There is always a certain day in the life of every pear when 

 it is just right for eating. Before that it is too hard, after that it begins to decay. 

 Pears are more varied in quality than any other fruit. The early ones come ear- 

 lier than apples, and late ones keep well into March and April. Among the first 

 to ripen is the Doyen de Ette. Very soon after comes the Bartlett. The Bartlett 

 will always be a universal favorite for eating, and is altogether the best kind for 

 marketing. It is an enormous bearer. In fact, the one great trouble with it is 

 that it tends to bear itself to death Berkshire farmers are most favorably situa- 

 ted to do a profitable business in pear raising. New Jersey and Connecticut pears 

 come in competition with peaches, but Berkshire Bartletts are at their best at a 

 time when the markets are almost cleared Of other summer fruits, and when the 

 Bartletts of New Jersey and the Hudson River valley are gone. In quality, the 

 Seckle pear surpasses all other varieties. It is. without an exception, the most 



