Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
436 
SUCCESS vs. FAILURE IN WISCONSIN ORCHARDING. 
BY J. C. PLUMB, MILTOH. 
The early decay and premature death of so many of our fruit- 
trees, is a matter of serious importance to a State that consumes 
annually not less than one million bushels of apples, beside the 
small-fruits, green and dried, of nearly equal cost to the consumer. 
Of this immense quantit} r , estimated at two million dollars worth, 
not less than three-fourths of which at this time is the product of 
other States, or the sum of one and one-half milllion dollars, are 
paid out annually by the people of this commonwealth for fruit we 
can produce on our soil, and will when we understand the condi¬ 
tions of success. This demand for fruit will never be less, but will 
be annually greater, beyond the ratio of increase of population. Of 
our ultimate success in this branch of industry 1 have no doubt. 
But how long we must wade through seas of disaster before we 
overcome the prejudice or pre-conceived opinion which now pre¬ 
vail, and climb the mount of success, I know not; but I do feel that 
in the face of the great losses of the past year we may now take 
the lessson and learn it well; then take a new departure in tree- 
planting, with every reason to expect success in the future. The 
success or failure of our orchards of to-day, rests on three primary 
conditions, viz, location, varieties, culture. 
First, the locations generally chosen are not suited to the nature 
of the tree, but in fact exceedingly adverse to its life and health. 
Soil too rich mhumiis,or vegetable matter, producing excessive and 
prolonged wood-growth, inducing fire-blight, with the attacks of 
fungoids, bark-bursting, and frozen sap-blight, inviting the borers 
in to complete the work, and revel in the feast of decaying sap. 
Warm, sheltered locations, with a sunny aspect, have proved a great 
curse to the fruit-growers of the west. Ninety-nine per cent, of 
all the trees heretofore planted in such locations have or must prove 
a loss and disappointment to the planter. They have some of them 
