58 APPLE ORCHARDS. 



may readily be supposed, the grass roots took possession of the 

 fertilizino; substances and robbed the trees of the elements neces- 

 sary for their growth ; notwithstanding the mistakes made, we con- 

 sider Mr. Clark *' in his green old age," entitled to credit, that it 

 may induce our young farmers to put out orchards and profit by 

 the mistakes of those gone before them. 



To this orchard we award the society's second premium, $10.00. 



Every farmer should pursue some special branch in agriculture, 

 best suited to his taste and circumstances ; if it is cono-enial with 

 his taste and his farm be well adapted to stock growing, that is 

 the branch for him to pursue ; if his farm is well adapted to grow- 

 inir veoretables, and his mind leads to that branch of agriculture, it 

 is for his interest to make it a Source of livelihood. Again, if he 

 is interested in fruit growing, he should enter into it with his 

 whole heart and make it his leading pursuit. Simply because Mr, 

 Reid, of Westfbrd, or Captain Pierce, of Arlington, have acquired 

 little fortunes in their orchards by their care, industry, and per- 

 severance, it is no rule that another individual can, alter trans- 

 planting the best selected trees in good soil, accomplish the same 

 without farther effort on his part, — he may as well expect to grow a 

 hundred bushels of corn to the acre without any cultivation. 



But how painful it is to pass through a section of the country 

 where good thrifty trees have been transplanted in good soil, and 

 in a few years afterwards to see that grass and weeds and the 

 horer have taken possession of the field to such an extent that the 

 money value of the trees is not as many dimes as it should be in 

 dollars ; yet such is the fact, even in Worcester and Middlesex 

 counties. 



Every farmer, however limited his acres, should cultivate a taste 

 to grow fruit sufficient for his own family consumption, and to ac- 

 complish the object he need not^ unless he pleases, set out more 

 trees than there are months in the year. For summer use we 

 would recommend the Early Harvest and Early Williams; the 

 Red Astrachan, also begins to ripen about the 20th of July, and con- 

 tinues to fall till September ; for fall a])ples, the Porter, Found- 

 ling and Gravenstein ; of this class none supersedes the Foundling, 

 especially for its long duration; the fruit ))egins to mature in 

 August, and continues to November ; although this variety is not 

 spoken of in the fruit books it may be thus described : 



Large;, greenish yellow, ribbed mostly, covered with bright red, 

 calyx large, open in a narrow basin flesh yellowish, quite juicy and 

 melting a sprightly sub-acid flavor ; supposed to have originated in 



