Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 341 



to the intelligent course pursnecl in regard to crops in general and 

 the humanity of the age in the kindness manifested toward domestic 

 animals, that fruit trees have been allowed to shirk for themselves. 

 They cannot be kept up to a full standard of excellence and yield as 

 they might be without a vigilant superintendence. There is even a 

 culpable neligence in failing to set out young trees, annually, to meet 

 the contingencies that beset old ones. Should they become too 

 numerous they could be removed without diminishing the resources 

 of tlie owner, as the developing new trees would more than make up 

 for a loss in numbers by their increased prolific vigor. In a word we 

 cannot divest ourselves of the opinion that a diminution and deteri- 

 oration of the apple crop at the north, and to some extent west, is 

 due to the want of attention which must be bestowed on all sources of 

 agricultural industry, as a country advances in age and population, 

 to keep productiveness at a satisfactory, renumerative standard. 



Mr. T. C. Peters said the paper just read embodied some very 

 important suggestions. He would, however, before moving the 

 thanks of the Club, beg leave to relate a little of his own experience. 

 He had seen and known an orchard which was planted among the 

 stumps of the farm in Western ITew York more than fifty years ago, 

 during which time he had been personally familiar with every tree. 

 When the trees were young, and before the roots filled the whole 

 surface of the earth they grew vigorously. Nature provides means 

 of supporting and reproducing herself. When the foliage annually 

 produced upon a tree is suffered to fall and decay at its roots there 

 is little danger of a vigorous growth and an abundant produc- 

 tion of its fruit. It is only when man interferes with the operations 

 of nature that she begins to show her dislike at his efforts. The 

 increase of limbs and roots necessitated an increased supply of food 

 for sustaining vegetation, and enabling the tree to perfect its fruit. 

 Having a large pile of leached ashes on the farm, he had a quantity 

 drawn and put around the trees, nearly or quite a horse cartload to a 

 ton. To this he added the rotten chips from the door-yard. The 

 result was a new tree in appearance. The old bark fell off, and was 

 replaced by a new, clean bark, and greatly impi'oved fruit. The fruit 

 having become wormy, he turned in and pastured hogs in the orchard, 

 which, in a very short time, cured much of that complaint. lie fully 

 indorsed Dr. Smith's sentiments, that the cruelty to orchards was 

 quite as palpable and inexcusable as cruelty to animals. It should 

 be borne in mind that this orchard is in fine wheat land, and that 



