98 

 Jabez Fisher's Statement. 



The " statement" required by the rules of the W. N. A^ 

 Society being as I understand it chiefly if not entirely for the 

 benefit of the pubUc, I propose* to include in that statement 

 the history and management of the whole of my central Pear 

 Orchard, the westerly half only of which, is entered for pre- 

 mium. Said half was planted in the spring of 1854. The 

 easterly portion was planted in the spring of '55 and '56,, 

 and to some extent in '57, and there are still remaining a 

 few vacancies to be filled. The orchard is intended even- 

 tually to comprise 1037 trees, of which one-third are upon 

 pear stocks, and the other two-thirds are upon the quince. 



The form in which the trees are set is that known as the 

 modern quincunx, in Ytrhich each standard tree occupies a 

 corner of an equilateral triangle, the sides of which measure* 

 eighteen feet. In the centre of each triangle, (of which there 

 are two to each standard,) at a distance of about ten feet 

 five inches from each other, are placed those upon the quince. 

 •This arrangement gives to the trees a more equal distribu- 

 tion over the ground than any other, and secures to each the 

 greatest amount of sunlight and air compatible with the dis- 

 tance at which they are placed one from another. It also 

 allows of horse cultivation in three different directions, a 

 most important aid in the after management. The entire 

 orchard occupies about two and one-third acres. The soil 

 is a strong loam, resting upon a clay bottom, with mica 

 slate underlying at a depth of five to fifteen feet. The soil 

 is one retentive of moisture, and requires drainage. 



In the spring of '54 the land was a clean piece of mowing, 

 I commenced by digging holes five feet in diameter and 

 twenty to twenty-two inches deep. The holes were filled 

 with sods and loam that were throv/n out in digging, and 

 enough more was borrowed from the sides to set the trees in. 

 The trees were procured from Hon. M. P. Wilder, of Dor- 

 chester, the standards being mostly worth a dollar each, and 

 the dwarfs were imported trees, two years from the bud on 

 the Angers quince. The standards were placed rather high 



