210 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



look for a good crop of apples except in cultivated orchards. Confirmed what 

 W. 0. Barry had said in regard to fruit being higher colored on grass land, 

 hut of better quality in cultivated orchards. 



Mr. Smith, of Albion, wanted to know if Mr. Hooker keeps his orchard in 

 grass. He has a large orchard and would cultivate it while young, but when it 

 gets to be fifteen or sixteen years old crops off the ground do not amount to 

 much, and would like to know if fruit would do as well in grass. Should think 

 fruit would be coarser on cultivated than on grass land. 



President Barry remarked that Ave have seen peaches growing on trees af- 

 fected with "yellows." highly colored but poor. 



Mr. Hooker does not pretend that slovenly treatment of orchards will do. 

 He maintains that what is called culture is not necessary for good crops. It is 

 a mistake to suppose that continual plowing is necessary for good crops. Plow- 

 ing will noc answer in place of fertilizing. Good apples are the product of trees 

 with good soil and sunlight. In a good many of our orchards, when fruit is 

 cheap, economy is to be considered. Plowing costs money, while pigs will pick 

 up the wormy fruit, and get their living. 



Prof. C. II. Dann, of Warsaw, has no theory but is seeking light, for he has 

 planted large orchards. There is an old orchard near him of one acre. The 

 owner has become rich by farming, and has often said to him that the net prof- 

 its of that acre is more than ten of farm land. It has borne as many as 300 

 barrels and the product lias sold for 8600 to $1,000 a year. Has kept trees 

 clean from suckers and superfluous wood, and once in three years dresses it with 

 manure. Occasionally plows it up and harrows for a year or two and seeds 

 again. AU that is taken off the orchard is fruit, and he does not gather less 

 than 100 barrels a year, and sometimes 300 barrels. Has but very little poor 

 fruit, and insects do but little harm. 



Mr. Moody did not mean to be understood that plowing is all of cultivation. 

 He would not crop after an orchard is in full bearing, but would manure. 



J. S. Woodward, of Lockport, favors grass in an orchard, but would never 

 put any in that had not gone through an animal. In drouth, grass land is dry 

 but cultivated is moist. Went by an orchard, part in grass and part cultivated 

 and could distinguish the separating line as far as he could see the orchard, 

 by the color and growth of leaves. One side of a tree overhung a cultivated 

 garden and the other was in grass ; the one side was loaded with fruit and the 

 other had not an apple. Another man had an orchard in hog pasture which 

 did not bear. Plowed it up and has good crops. Does not favor very deep 

 plowing. His orchard will pay him $80 an acre this year. Don't want it to go 

 out that this societv recommends ^rass in orchards. 



A. J. Bice, Sodus, Wayne Co., said that Yeomans would keep his orchards 

 in grass as long as he could get manure, but when supply failed, would raise 

 and plow under green manure. Sows corn in spring and rye in fall, plowing 

 them under. 



Mr. M. B. Bateham, of Ohio, believes in cultivating orchards, and that it is 

 the only way you can grow good apples in Ohio. Believes in hog cultivation. 

 Can not persuade Ohio farmers to trap the codling, but hogs and sheep will 

 reduce their numbers. Sheep must not be kept too long in orchard or will 

 gnaw the trees. In regard to color of fruit : he was on the Michigan Com- 

 mittee, and they agreed that high color was evidence of lack of nutriment, 

 foliage less rank, and fruit less shaded. 



Mr. John Craine, of Lockport, said all fruits are better where the trees are 



