140 MY FARM. 



or of wild-cherry, had shot up, and exhibited a 

 succulence and vigor which did not belong to the 

 cultivated trees. 



And now I am going to describe fully keeping 

 nothing back the manner in which I dealt with this 

 wilderness of orchard. It was not in many respects 

 the best way ; but the record of errors in so experi- 

 mental a matter, often carries as good a lesson as the 

 record of successes. This is as true in state-craft as 

 with old orcharding. 



First, I extirpated every tree which was not a 

 fruit tree with the exception of one lordly sugar 

 maple at the foot of the declivity, and standing 

 within one of the unoccupied belts. Its stately, 

 compact head, shading a full half acre of ground, 

 still crowns the view. I am aware that it is an agri- 

 cultural enormity. The mowers complain that the 

 broken limbs, torn down by ice storms, are a pest ; 

 the tenant complains of its deep shade ; one or two 

 neighboring sawyers have made enticing proposi- 

 tions for its stalwart bole, yet I cannot forego my 

 respect for its united age and grace. 



"With this exception, I made full clearance, and 

 turned under, by careful ploughing, all the wild sod. 

 I dressed the whole field heavily with such fertilizers 

 as could be brought together, from home resources 

 and from town stables, with certain addenda of lime 



