96 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



country. And when we talk about this matter of farming- in the 

 State of Maine, the great question comes up, as it always does, 

 What shall we have for manure, and how shall we procure it, and 

 how shall we keep up our supply? I am full}'^ convinced from 

 my own experience and observation, that the remark of Judge 

 Gilbert in relation to the raising of roots and especially the beet, 

 is a very important matter with us, in connection with the raising 

 of fruits in this State, and we shall find it so. 



Mr. Belcher proceeded to urge the importance of growing more 

 fall apples, and spoke of a variety raised extensively in Franklin 

 county, known as the "Dean" or "Nine Ounce Apple," and 

 requested Mr. Goodale to give a description of it. 



Mr. Goodale replied, giving a brief description of the fruit, and 

 said that it had been repeatedly discussed before the Board of 

 Agriculture, and that a description of it might be found in the 

 Report for 1872, [page 414.] 



Hon. S. p. Perley, of Naples. After listening to the wonderful 

 results obtained in certain individual cases, it seems hardly worth 

 while for me to say anything about what I have done. T will, 

 however, say as much as this, that I approve most cordially, from 

 experience, the remarks that have been made in regard to oshes 

 as a fertilizer for apple and pear trees. The past summer I used 

 three or four hundred bushels, and my trees, where they were put 

 on, have done finely. One other manure that has been mentioned 

 here, as a special manure for fruit trees, I can say from experience 

 is valuable, and that is the manure from sheep. The best thing T 

 have ever done with my fruit trees, was to turn a flock of sheep 

 among them. In one case, my trees stood about 30 feet apart, 

 and some of them were miserable, (and, by the way, I will say 

 here that fruit trees must have room enough. If your tree spreads 

 three or four rods in the limbs, you may reckon six or seven rods 

 for the roots. ) I was about to say that I had an orchard of four 

 acres, the trees 30 feet apart, which would give more than forty 

 to the acre ; but still there were some trees missing, so that 

 properly there were not forty to the acre upon the land. Simply 

 by putting in sheep, and keeping them there, letting them feed it 

 pretty close, I brought it up from producing nothing to an average 

 of $100 per acre, clean profit, beside the cost of labor, which is 

 the best result I have ever had from cultivating fruit trees. So 

 far as my experience goes I should say that ashes and the pastur- 

 ing with sheep furnish the best manures for the orchard. 



