78 STATE P03I0L0GICAL SOCIETY. 



Three trees of last named had been set on my place by prior 

 occupant and were well started in 1851. When matured, the 

 three trees gave me one crop of six bushels. My success with this 

 fruit for several years was all that could be desired. When plums 

 were at their best with me, Hon. A. W. Paine, one of Bangor's 

 enthusiasts, called on me opportunely, and with book in hand spent 

 several hours identifying varieties to his own apparent pleasure, 

 and certainly to my satisfaction in the proof that I had gathered 

 about twenty standing well up in the named list, and lead by a 

 good number of trees of Green Gage and McLaughlin. But the 

 spoiler came ! Black-knot speedily wiped out my picture. 



CHERRIES. 



Cherries appeared here nearly as early as plums. I had known 

 one variety many years before seeing others — the very common 

 Kentish. Some of these were set on my place a year or two before 

 it came to me. To these I added a few trees of the Heart and 

 the Duke classes. My collection had short time to prove their 

 adaptability to the place, or to manifest homesickness. They 

 sympathized kindly with their friends — the plums — in their afflic- 

 tion and finally made common cause in that unfortunate exodus. 

 All other fruits common to the south half of the State have been 

 tried here, and many citizens can speak of them from experience. 

 I have tried about all that the climate favors, and certainly have 

 tried some that it didn't. 



In regard to the climate and the fruits it may favor, nothing need 

 be added to what your past reports contain. It may be of interest 

 to know with what certainty the apple crop comes to us. I have 

 more than once been to western New York in autumn when scarcely 

 a bushel of fair apples could be seen out of Maine. I have been 

 here to see every apple crop, except that of 1837, since my father's 

 first grafted trees came on, and can say there has not been a skip 

 in all the time since when we have not had some of the varieties 

 he then introduced. I feel safe in this statement as regards the 

 Hubbardston. There have been a few light crops, but not a time 

 when good apples could not be had at reasonable price. We have 

 had occasional damage by hail on small areas ; and some by neglect 

 lost a crop by the tent caterpillar. In regard to untimely frosts 

 we have been specially favored. 



