The Canadian Horticulturist. 175 



PLANT A VARIETY OF FRUITS. 



CARCELY a week passes but I am in receipt of letters from parties 

 seeking information as to what they should plant. The apple crop of 

 late has become quite uncertain, and some other fruits not much 

 better, and this question as to what to plant for profit, is certainly 

 deserving more than a passing notice. When we have a crop of apples 

 the price is frequently too low to be remunerative. Have we not been 

 planting too many Baldwins ? is a suggestion that has frequently come 

 to my mind in the past few years, and would it not be wise to graft over some of 

 our thrifty young Baldwins to choice eating sorts that would find ready sale on 

 our city fruit stands at prices that would amply compensate you for the change ? 

 Try the Stump, Mcintosh Red, and Suttons's Beauty, all varieties of the choicest 

 quality and beautiful in appearance, and see if they do not pay. There may be 

 others with which you are acquainted that are even better. For myself, I should 

 regard it unwise to confine my efforts to any one kind of fruit. In other words, 

 in planting for profit, I would put out a variety, including more or less of the 

 smaller fruits, the limit of which would depend in a measure upon the land at my 

 command, its adaptability for the purpose wanted, and facilities for reaching 

 markets economically and in good time. Where the soil were suitable, I would 

 plant peach, plum, cherry and quinces, with a reasonable amount of such smaller 

 fruits as might be worked in to advantage and sold at markets not too far distant 

 from home. I know of one party not seventy-five miles distant, owning a fine 

 young apple orchard of fifty acres, who said to me a few weeks since, " Had it 

 not been for my blackberries in connection with a small crop of pears and plums, 

 I should have been compelled to borrow money to meet current expenses for the 

 year," referring in this to the past season. Yet another with seventy acres of 

 orcharding, from his currants, gooseberries, cherries and quinces realized $2,500, 

 while his apples, plums, and peaches, which heretofore have been his main de- 

 pendance, yielded him nothing. A third party with a large planting of apples, 

 plums and quinces, found his cash in hand from a fine crop of quinces. In- 

 stances might be multiplied showing the very great importance attached to grow- 

 ing a variety of fruits, in the attainment of the object sought. If this idea be 

 correct, how many throughout this favored region have made a very great mis- 

 take ! We think no wise farmer would for a moment entertain the idea of 

 devoting his entire farm to any one product like corn, wheat or barley, no matter 

 how well his soil be adapted to either. 



Geneva, N. Y. S. D. Willard. 



