96 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



there are many fruit growers present who are also engaged in 

 farming, and we wish to fill the remainder of the afternoon with a 

 discussion of these topics. We are very happy to see that there 

 are present a goodly number of members of the Winthrop Farmers' 

 Club, and we hope that they will participate freely in this discussion. 

 Mr. J. R. Nelson of Winthrop. I think the best address that 

 I have ever heard upon the subject of fruit growing, is the one 

 we have listened to this afternoon from Dr. True. As we look 

 over our State, we see the fruit interests are coming up very fast, 

 and our friend Andrews has told us that there are 10,000 trees set 

 out in this town and doing well. Now I would ask if those who 

 have set those trees are not pursuing the course that Dr. True 

 laid down? As far as I am concerned, I am and always have been 

 decidedly interested in fruit growing. These apples exhibited 

 here are grown very nicely for this year, and are very different 

 from apples grown on trees that are starved to death. The paper 

 presented by Mr. Smith contains some excellent suggestions. He 

 has a large number of trees, and he can tell better by far than the 

 average farmer about the profits of the business. A large number 

 of his trees have been treated in the manner indicated by Dr. True 

 in his lecture this afternoon. That point should be strongly im- 

 pressed on the mind of every man. How many orchards are there 

 from five to twenty years old that do not receive the necessary 

 care, and are not half manured to grow fruit successfully ? A 

 man must feed his trees. Our fruits in this village and in every 

 other village, are better than the fruits on average farms, — and 

 why? Because they receive more care and culture, thus giving 

 us a notable illustration of the difference between fruit which 

 receives care, and that which does not. If a man has the means 

 and time at command and wishes to set an orchard, and will culti- 

 vate it properly after it is set, he may reasonably expect good 

 results as rewards of his efforts. I am afraid, Mr. President, that 

 a large number of the trees which are being set out in the town of 

 Winthrop are being lost for the want of sufficient cultivation. 

 Dr. True has told us one cord of manure should be applied to each 

 tree, but I do not understand that a cord is enough for a tree for 

 life. If you eat dinner to-day it is no reason why you will not 

 require dinner to-morrow ; and I am fearful that a great many 

 persons who set out their 500 trees, have not the 500 cords of 

 manure for them. I think there are some trees that cannot be 

 induced to produce better by cultivation. I have some that never 



