THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 209 



ing well in grass, but we do not know the quality of the soil. He knows of two 

 orchards in grass, which are quite productive — one in Niagara and the other in 

 Wayne — hut the soil in both cases is unusually good. Would like to have a 

 committee appointed to visit orchards next summer, and report the results of 

 the two systems. His theory is deep plowing and never seeding. Don't believe 

 in seeding down a few years to promote fruitfulness. If you seed sometimes 

 when you plow again, you break off the roots, which get too near the surface. 

 Thinks in dry seasons, roots near the surface are destroyed. 



Mr. James A. Hoot, of Skaneatelas, has an orchard ten or twelve years of 

 age, in grass, whiok he keeps in good condition by digging up and manuring a 

 space about five feet in diameter, around the trees, with road scrapings, lie- 

 moves hay from the ground, getting good crops of hay and fruit. The trees bear 

 all he wishes, and are making a good growth. The codling moth is the only in- 

 sect that infests his fruit, and they are quite as bad on grass as on cultivated 

 ground. His trees have averaged about five bushels to a tree this year. Has 

 trees in cultivation, and thinks they grow faster, and bear fairer fruit than in 

 grass. Twig blight worse on those cultivated, than on those in grass. Have 

 been in bearing six years. 



Mr. H. E. Hooker said the question has more than one side. He would say 

 that when trees were young they should be cultivated that they may grow rap- 

 idly, but whether, finally, it is best to cultivate or not, is not so clear. Beside 

 his office are trees of Canada Red and Lady apples, which have stood in grass 

 without cultivation for twenty years. The lawn has been mowed and nothing 

 carried off. No manured or cultivated ground within 300 feet. Eoots of apple 

 trees will run 100 feet, and trees should be planted far enough apart to allow 

 the roots to run. Where grass is grown as a crop, and removed, the trees are 

 starved. Essential conditions of a productive orchard are, food for the roots, 

 and sunlight for the leaves. Cultivation is not an essential condition. Can 

 produce facts showing that trees thirty years in grass produced large crops. 



President Barry. — Were you going into the fruit business with the object of 

 raising line fruit, would you cultivate your trees or grow them in grass? 



In the earlier years of an orchard nothing but good culture and plenty of ma- 

 nure will answer; but when an orchard conies into bearing, rapid growth of wood 

 is not calculated to produce the finest quality of fruit. Fruitfulness is promoted 

 by seeding down and checking the growth. Pasturing with sheep or swine is an 

 easy, practical way of taking care of an orchard, but manure must be used to 

 keep up the fruitfulness. Starving trees in grass is the extreme of grass cul- 

 ture. Does not assert but what greater burdens of fruit can be grown by high 

 culture, but cost must be considered. He has as good quality of fruit in grass 

 as in culture, but can not have fine fruit in a crowded orchard. 



Mr. Root would not have it understood that he thinks partial equal to entire 

 culture, but where grass is desired, partial culture will grow full crops. 



W. C. Barry referred to a test made by Prof. Beal, of the Michigan State 

 Agricultural College, Mr. Henry B. Ellwanger, H. D. Adams, and others, 

 touching the quality of fruit grown on cultivated and uncultivated trees. He 

 thought this a good time to discuss this question. According to the experience 

 of the gentlemen before mentioned, it appeared that fruit grown on cultivated 

 trees while it was, in general, paler, was nevertheless the best fruit. Fruit 

 grown in seeded orchards looked redder, but the quality of the fruit was not so 

 good. 



Mr. H. Dale Adams, of Michigan, said the fruit growers of his State did not 



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