rKUITTREESANDrBtriTS, 77 



llErORT ON FRUIT TREES AND FRUITS. 



BY LEAXDER -WETIIERELL. 



The cultivation of Fruit trees in Massachusetts lias not generally 

 received the attention, which so important a subject justly demands. 

 This will be found emphatically true of Central and Western Massa- 

 chusetts — the beautiful Valley of the Connecticut, not even affording 

 a general exception to this remark. This want of good fruit of the 

 various species and varieties, has been suffered to prevail quite too 

 long. The spirit of progress and improvement which so eminently 

 marks the present age, is beginning to be felt in this direction. Here 

 and there, may be found gardeners and farmers who have, within the 

 past few years, demonstrated that the luxury of good fruits, of the 

 various kinds, may be universally enjoyed. Let these demonstra- 

 tions, though few and far between, beget a speedy determination in 

 all the proprietors of the soil, that have not already done so, to engage 

 at once in the cultivation of fruit trees, and thus secure as a home 

 production, what you are now so fond of sharing with yonrmore en- 

 terprising neighbors, or friends, whether in your own town, or more 

 remotely situated. 



In looking over the Report of the Committee on Fruit Trees, made 

 last year by its accomplished Chairman, Prof. W. C. Foavler, and 

 published in the Transactions of the Hampshire Co. Agricultural So- 

 ciety of 1853, the present Chairman of your Committee, finds that 

 the subject was treated on this wise, to wit: I. Plant a Nursery ; 



II. Select the Ground for your Orchard and Fruit Garden, carefully ; 



III. Prepare your Ground carefully ; IV. Plant your trees carefully ; 

 V. Tend your Trees carefully. He having considered these several 

 topics in their order, it is proposed on this occasion to present a few 

 suggestions concerning some of the more desirable varieties of fruits. 

 Some seem incliued to multiply varieties, more especially of apples 

 and pears, without paying due regard to the qualities thereof. 



Don, in his work on English Gardening, published in 1832, gives 

 fourteen hundred varieties of the apple. The number has been greatly 

 enlarged since, so that there are now about two thousand cultivated 

 Tarieties. 



Before proceeding to the enumeration of certain varieties which it 



