A correspondent sends us the following from California, as reported of a speaker at a late meeting of the State Horticultural Society; and remarks that it coincides with what the Gardeners' Monthly has always taught about the proper arrangement of orchards:

'* Mr. Aiken : A neighbor of mine has an apple orchard that he has cultivated for more than ten years. It hasn't borne anything this year. But a near neighbor has an orchard that has not been cultivated for ten years - never been taken care of whatever - and they are very near together, and the orchard that has never been taken care of or plowed has a large crop of healthy, fine apples. The man who had cultivated his orchard so tastefully and carefully said to me: ' It is a question of doubt whether it pays to take so much care of an orchard. Where I ought to have a thousand boxes, I haven't a hatful.' "

To some extent it does coincide. We have to be, however, careful of assuming too much in these cases. Sometimes there are other elements at work besides mere grass or mere clean surface. Where there is plenty of food for both grass and for the trees, and all other things equal, the grass-clothed orchard will always be the best.