For best coop of Guinea Fowls, Walter Rote, Sheffield, 1 00 



2d do., Richard A. Holmes, Alford, 50 



i 3d do., E. McLean, Great Barrington, 50 



M. Warner, j 



D. Waite, > Committee. 



J. Q. A. Race, \ 



PLOWING. 



HORSE TEAMS ELEVEN ENTRIES. 



Best Plowing Team, Patrick Bums, Stockbridge, $8 00 



2d do., Garret Burns, Great Barrington, 7 00 



3d do., Horace Cande, Sheffield, 6 00 



4th do., Joe Ramsey, Egremont, 5 00 



5th do., Edward Shook, Egremont, 4 00 



fith do., M. Kilduff, Stockbridge, 3 00 



7th do., Ira J. Lowrej r , Egremont, 2 00 



John W. Hull, Chairman. 



ORCHARDS. 



The Committee on apple and pear orchards for 1869-71, having duly attended 

 to their duties, submit the following report : 



And at the outset, they regret to say, that only four entries of apple orchards, 

 and three of pears, were submitted for their examination by the sixteen hun- 

 dred, or more members of the Housatonic Agricultural Society. There should 

 have been a much larger number. The apathy among our farmers, in relation 

 to fruit raising is certainly quite inexplicable. It would seem that every man, 

 who owns even a small patch of ground, should devote as much as possible of 

 it to the cultivation of fruit of some kind ; but if we visit every towm in the 

 county, w 7 e shall find only here and there one actively engaged in the cultivation 

 of fruit ; especially the apple, which may well be denominated the standard 

 fruit for this section of country. If your committee can offer any suggestions 

 which shall lead to the more diligent and successful cultivation of the apple and 

 the pear, they would consider that they had done a good work. It has been 

 well said, that he wiio plants a tree of any kind, particularly a fruit tree, not 

 only benefits himself, but also confers a lasting favor upon those who come 

 after him. 



But he who plants an apple orchard in particular, undertakes a w r ork in which 

 not only himself, but the whole community are interested. The apple is truly 

 a cosmopolitan fruit. It is eagerly sought for at all seasons, and in all places. 

 No other fruit can be served in such a variety of forms ; none satisfies the taste 

 of all classes so well as the apple in its perfection. It has been w r ell denomi- 

 nated the "democratic fruit." The question may be asked, can we cultivate it 

 successfully ? We believe it may be. But there are certain conditions to be 

 observed, and which are indispensable to success. The time has passed w r hen 

 it w r as only necessary to plant out a fruit tree, without much regard to the 

 manner in which it was done to ensure its successful growth. This could be 

 done, perhaps, when the country was new, and before those elements which 

 favor the growth of the apple w r as exhausted from the soil. But now it is not 

 enough to plant a tree, and leave it to the mercy of the elements, or the animals 

 that roam over the fields. 



Probably at the present time, the chief causes of failure are, the w T ant of a 

 proper preparation of the soil, of the selection of trees, and the mode of setting. 

 One great reason why we have so few thrifty apple orchards seems to be, that 

 they have been located in positions which the owner considered unfit for any- 



