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Wisconsin State Agricultural society. 
pleasant things of the present time, and carry us over into the 
futare sunshine so agreeable to all, than some of the day dreams, 
commonly called “ air castles?” 
Do yoii knov/ of any human beings more in need of such consola¬ 
tion than the horticulturists of Wisconsin? And if required to 
select the most miserable among these, could you fail to answer, as 
with one voice, the Wisconsin nurserymen? Being one of this un¬ 
fortunate class, I crave your indulgence if I dream some things not 
very practical or easy of realization. 
Poets sing the praises of choice fruits. Doctors tell of their 
medicinal virtues. The spies sent into Canaan brought back grapes, 
pomegranates and figs. The first and pleasantest things told of a 
new country are of its delicious fruits. All this convinces me that 
to enjoy health, wealth and happiness, I must have an orchard. 
As this is not the season to plant, I can only think how I would 
like to do it. To fully satisfy my needs, 1 think the part planted 
to apples should be about forty acres, and to give me the largest 
returns with the least trouble in gathering or marketing, it should 
contain no more than six varieties. 
First in season would be Duchess of Oldenburg. As this is a slow 
grower and early bearer, one hundred and sixty trees may stand 
on an acre; five acres would thus hold eight hundred trees. Utter, 
Fall Orange, Fameuse, Plumb’s Cider and Walbridge would answer 
very well for my other five kinds. If one or two of these could not 
be had, I should not hesitate to plant Alexander and Haas in their 
stead. All these are stronger growers, and must have more room. 
On thirty-five acres I would plant twenty-three hundred trees, about 
twenty-five feet apart, making, with the eight hundred Duchesses, 
three thousand one hundred in all. Five additional trees for each 
hundred I would also plant in some convenient place, from which 
to replace any that might fail in the orchard, thus keeping every 
place filled with trees of uniform size. 
Of location I say nothing, except that it should be the best with¬ 
in my reach. Its preparation should be good drainage where neces¬ 
sary, and deep and thorough plowing. 
The trees used should be the best I could buy. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the heavy losses we have seen by root killing, I should still hes¬ 
itate to use crab roots, fearing that my orchard would be smaller in 
size, its yield of fruit less, and its time of productive usefulness 
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