116 



the size of the former. The average height is about 5 ft. 

 Outside of the natural advantages of soil, &c. the treatment 

 has been the same. 



The grass and weeds on each piece of land have been 

 cut with the scythe yearly. 



The Sugar Maples entered for the prize for ornamental 

 trees, number some 25, and were mostly planted in 1878 — 

 a few having died, and the vacancies filled. They were 

 about 8 ft. high when planted, and are now on an average, 

 20 ft. These are situated on the road-side. At the time 

 of planting, the main stem was not sawed off, as is the 

 usual custom in the country, but the branches were pruned. 

 The occasional trimming of the irregular and the shorten- 

 ing of the longest branches, will, I think, in the end, give 

 compact and uniform heads. 



My Larch plantation of 5 acres, to which yon desired me 

 to refer, was made in the spring of 1877, and originally 

 consisted of 15,000 trees, about 12 inciies high, planted on 

 a dry side-hill pasture, with Southerly exposure; protected 

 on the North side by a grove of hard wood trees. Probably 

 less than one- half of those planted are alive at the present 

 time. One of the greatest hindrances to rapid growth has 

 been the loss of a great many of the leaders, caused by in- 

 sects, wind and snow. Some have reached the height of 

 15 feet, but the majority would not average over 8 or 9 



feet. 



Yours truly, 



J. D. W. French. 



REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON SMALL FRUITS. 



Bradford, Nov. 16, 1885. 

 To David W. Loiv, Sec^y Essex Agricultural Society : 



The Committee on Small Fruits make the following re- 

 port : By order of the Secretary, the Committee viewed 



