APPLES GRAFTED ON A ROCK! 
WHAT NEW ENGLAND SOIL WILL DO 
If You Can Get Down to It. 
The photograph of the rocky New England orchard, 
shown on this page, was made by Prof. L. H. Bailey, 
for use in a forthcoming book on apple culture. It is 
a true picture—an exact photograph of too many of 
the fields that are expected to produce the supply of 
fruit needed on New England farms. Every year or 
so we like to print a picture of a stony New England 
field, so that some of the boys out on the stoneless 
prairies of the West may understand what New Eng¬ 
land farming meant in the old days. We are glad, 
also, to show the reverse side of this picture in the 
following statement from Mr. George Simons, of 
Weare, N. H. This will show what could be done on 
that rocky field if the stones could be pulled out, and 
the trees attended to. It is always a good thing to 
respect the possibilities of life, even though, for some 
reason, we fall short of them ourselves: 
My farm at 
present consists 
of a nine-acre 
apple orchard, on 
which I grow 
apples and grass. 
Thirty-four years 
ago I bought this 
land for $200. 
One acre of it 
had been “ im¬ 
proved ” ; most 
of the remainder 
was in its orig¬ 
inal state, cov¬ 
ered with old 
walls, thousands 
of bowlders, big 
and little, bushes, 
etc. My first crop 
was four tons 
of stock hay. 
Twen ty-five 
years later, it 
was cleared—not 
a stone or bush 
remaining — 2 7 5 
rods of drain 
made, and cov¬ 
ered with apple 
trees. Several 
acres cost $300 
per acre to re¬ 
move the stone. I commenced in a small way, work¬ 
ing the land thoroughly, growing corn and potatoes, 
and some six years ago I raised 18 tons of prime hay 
and a fair crop of apples. I have hired the labor by 
the day, and have kept an accurate account with my 
little farm from the start. The income has kept 
ahead of the expenditures all the time. 
It is often said that we can grow but one crop on 
the same land at the same time. When I commenced, 
I aimed to grow apples and hay, and I have never 
changed my plan. I think that is best for me. About 
one-third of my orchard is in full bearing, and my 
crop—apples and hay—netted in 1892, $1,000 ; in 1893, 
very nearly $1,000, and in 1894, considerably more 
than $1,000, which shows pretty conclusively what 
may be done with rough, almost worthless land, here 
in New Hampshire. 
Keeping accounts is one of my hobbies, and my ac¬ 
count with this nine-acre field 34 years, tells an inter¬ 
esting story for me. I have kept an accurate account 
with it since April 1, 1861. I think that it has paid in 
dollars and cents, and I would not wish to part with 
it now, at cost. 
My journal reads, April 1, 1861: 
Cost of land.$200.00 
29 rods of stonewall. 20.30 
Labor on stone drain. 42.61 
One acre of these nine acres had been planted two 
years without fertilizers. Two or three acres of the 
rest had the appearance of having been “worked” 
some time in the distant past. The whole had been 
mowed and pastured from time immemorial. There 
were 40 rods of old wall—bowlders and bushes every¬ 
where— and several acres so rough that it was 
hardly safe to drive over it; a few old apple trees 
that had been grafted and never pruned, some 
of which I saved, and numerous small seedlings 
springing up which I grafted as they became large 
enough. 
In 1867, I planted 34 nursery trees, and several years 
later, set more and continued grafting until the ground 
is covered—about as many of one as the other. I can 
see no difference in the growth or hardiness of the 
trees, or quantity or quality of the fruit. I have 30 
to 40 varieties, though about half a dozen is enough 
for profit. 
For the few best varieties I would select: Two best 
early—Astrachan and William’s Favorite. Two best 
autumn—Gravenstein and Wealthy. Early winter— 
Granite Beauty and Hubbardston. Winter—Baldwin, 
Northern Spy and Ladies’ Sweet. I have sprayed 
more or less for several years, and intend to this 
year. I have not made many practical tests, but so 
far as I have observed, I think it profitable to spray. 
All the nine acres were pretty expensive to work, 
and the last three acres I never expected to improve ; 
but it was near the highway, and so I kept at it till 
it was done. Several acres cost me $300 per acre to 
get it ready to “ break up.” However, I enjoyed doing 
it, and charged it to the profit and loss account. Two 
large bowlders remain in sight, monuments of my 
“ courage and foolishness.” My farm work extended 
over quite a number of years; I did not force the 
work, or I might have had a good orchard 10 years 
earlier. This work was done partly for pleasure, 
though as the following figures show, there has 
been some profit about it, too. 
In 1887, I made up a summary for 26 years as follows : 
EXPENSES. RECEIPTS. 
Cost of land. 
.. $ 200.00 
Hay. 
....$1,260.32 
Labor, tools, etc. 
.5,322.31 
Grain. 
. 234.85 
Stable manure. 
. 1,395.30 
Corn. 
. 846.25 
Ashes. 
.. 171.30 
Potatoes. 
. 936.70 
Superphosphate . 
.. 122.10 
Apples. 
.1,900.00 
Ground bone. 
. 22.90 
Vegetables. 
. 61.38 
Lime. 
. 14.04 
3.10 
Wood and lumber..., 
. 12.22 
Apple trees and labor. ., 
Taxes. 
.. 200.00 
. 130.00 
Total. 
..$8,251.72 
Total.$7,581.65 
Four years ago, I was offered $2,000 for my orchard. 
It is not for sale. I have made these trees with my 
own hands (with Nature’s assistance) ; I know every 
one of them. I have watched them all these years. 
I enjoy them in blossom and fruit, and, although 
there is not “ Millions in it,” there is pleasure and a 
fair compensation. I have exhibited fruit at all our 
State Fairs for a number of years, usually capture 
the best premiums on apples, and have some 300 
“cards” in all. I have just sent a communication to 
the Manchester Union, in which I say, “ I believe the 
raising of fruit in this part of New Hampshire is, 
or might be, one 
of the most profit¬ 
able branches of 
farm industry, 
and that there 
are thousands of 
acres on our 
abandoned farms 
which might be 
planted with 
apple trees with 
profit.” 
Of course I am 
on the lookout 
for the cheapest 
fertilizer for this 
orchard. As will 
be seen, I have 
used mostly 
stable manure 
and wood ashes. 
Stable manure is 
expensive, but is 
very useful in 
promoting the 
growth of wood 
in young trees. 
The Canada wood 
ashes are too ex¬ 
pensive as com¬ 
pared with other 
forms of potash. 
We can buy some 
ashes from local sources, and these are of good quality. 
I want to try bone and muriate, and compare that 
mixture with stable manure and ashes, both as re¬ 
gards cost and efficiency. I can also buy quantities 
of hen manure which with muriate and bone make a 
good combination for the trees. Of course, growing 
as I do, large quantities of hay among the trees, it is 
necessary to supply more nitrogen than would be the 
case in growing fruit alone. This orchard must be 
well fed—that is evident, and the question of picking 
out the right food is an interesting and important one. 
If it is really possible to secure a good substitute for 
manure and ashes by using bone and potash, it is easy 
to see what a saving will be made. The ashes and 
manure, however, are natural fertilizers that all have 
full confidence in, and we want to experiment with 
the substitutes to begin with. 
R. N.-Y.—We know many orchardists who depend 
on muriate and bone entirely for the fruit. Nitrate 
of soda added will fully supply the grass, but too 
much of it is not desirable, as it will induce a heavy 
growth of wood—which means poorer fruit, as has 
been often proved by experiment. 
AN APPLE ORCHARD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. “GRAFTING APPLE ON ROCK.” Fig. 100 . 
