50 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



Downins: tells us of two f:iinous old trees which lived to be 

 140 }ears old, and bore that year, together, thirty or forty 

 bushels of apples, and the followino; year they bore 101 

 bushels. He does not tell us how much longer they lived. 



On the south side of the road, opposite the buildings, 

 another orchard was planted later, as also some about the 

 buildings, and roAvs by the road-side as far as the line of the 

 farm extended to the east. We moved on to this farm thirty- 

 three years ago. The orchard then was in its prime. It was 

 very flourishing and productive, some of the Baldwin and 

 Russet trees producing seven and eight liarrels of first quality 

 fruit. There is yet living and in fair condition, one large 

 Russet tree, which the former proprietor, jMr. Thing, in- 

 formed us bore thirteen barrels of nice Russets in one season. 

 A small portion of this farm was owned by the widow Haines 

 at the time of purchase by my father ; it included a few acres 

 of pasturage, and one acre and a half of orcharding, a part of 

 which was grafted fruit. None of the former proprietors had 

 been able to buy her out ; she clung tenaciously to her thirds. 

 All that she did to her part was to di-aw her annual salary, 

 which consisted of a small amount of hay and a few barrels 

 of apples. Year by year the hay diminished, and the apples 

 grew less in amount, until she was glad to sell out. 



\\Vhen it came into our possession it was in a sadly ncg- 

 lacted condition. The land had grown up mostly to golden 

 rod and other weeds, and the trees were in a shameful state. 

 The first thing my father did was to prune the orchard, and 

 the second to plow the ground and till it, but that was so long 

 ago that I do not remember the precise efiect it had, only that 

 there was a general improvement. However, a few years 

 lalcr my brother and myself had occasion to ploAv up the same 

 ground ; we planted to potatoes, putting on a good coating of 

 manure. I remember the efiect the manuring and cultivating 

 had at that time, there was a decided improvement ; the trees 

 eame out the following year with a much darker and richer 

 color to the foliage, and the fruit was larger and of better 

 quality. I have a distinct recollection of the efiect on one 



