INDUCEMENTS TO EXTEND 
THE CULTIVATION OF FRUIT. 
Helievinjr, as we do most thoroughly, that the extensive planting of fruit 
trees and fruit hearing plants, is a great national and private good, we have 
for many years given the subject all the attention in our power : have visited 
and corresponded with the owners of several hundred orchards, vineyards and 
small fruit plantations in many different States, and noticed carefully the mode 
of cultivation, the kind of soil and climatt;, together with the best varieties for 
market and for house use ; we therefore feel ourselves competent to give such 
advice to persons who have not had experience, as will enable them to plant 
with every itrospcct of satisfactory success. 
No person is willing to engage in extensive iffanting without being fully sat- 
isfied as to the success he will be likely to obtain. In order to present reliable 
information on this, w'e shall cite a few instances among many which we have 
found on every side of us. 
Good cultivation. — by which we mean keeping the ground at all times mellow 
and free from weeds or plants of any kind, together with thorough drainage, 
cither natural or artiticial, — is absolutely nece.sssiry, in our oiiinion, for success. 
This, with judicious pruning, and proper selection of varieties, suitable for the 
locality, will, in nearly all portions of the United States, result in success 
gratifying to the planter. 
APPLES. 
The first fruit, hoth in importance and general culture, is the Apple. Its 
period, unlike that of other fruit, extends nearly or quite throughout the entire 
year. H v planting a judicious selection of Summer, Autumn and Winter sorts, 
a constant succession can easily be obtained of this indispensable fruit for 
family uses. 
There is no farm crop, on the average, that will produce one-fourth as much 
income per acre as will a good orchard. As it generally takes six or eight years 
for an orchard to come into a good bearing state, some people hesitate to plant, 
thinking the time and expense is in a great measure lost. In reply to this we 
would quote the remarks made by O. C. Chapin, of East Bloomfield, N. Y., to 
.1. .1. Thomas. He said that he considered the growth of each Apple tree 
planted in his immense orchard of over one liundred and fifty acres, was fully 
worth one dollar each year before they commenced bearing. lie has had ex- 
perience for nearly half a century, and he says that he considers that to be a 
low estimate. At fifty trees per acre, this woidd make a yearly increase of 
value of fifty dollars per acre, which no doubt is quite within the mark. In 
many parts of the eountiy, where orchards have been planted extensively, — 
though the comparative extent of orchards to the whole of the cultivated lands 
is scarcely one acre to the hundred, — the annual revenue derived from the sale 
of the fruit, is far greater tlian that of any other jiroduction of the farm. 
An acre of good orchard is worth, in nearly all i>arts of the countrj-, from 
five hundred to one thousand dollars, and is the best kind of an investment at 
tho.se prices, one or two j-ears’ croi) frequently ])aying the whole amount. The 
price paid for the fruit is steadily on the increase, as tlie wealth of the country 
and inclinalicm to ]>urcha.se increases. There is not the slightest indication that 
