THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 211 



not too flourishing. Not in favor of keeping orchard in grass a great while at 

 a time, hut if growing too fast and not fruiting, would seed it down. Said to 

 be grreat amount of manure in an acre of grass. Thinks green manuring the 

 most economical way of manuring. 



Mr. A. G. Newton, Parma, would ask if an orchard of twenty acres would 

 yield fruit at the rate of from 100 to 300 barrels per acre? A single acre will 

 draw nutriment from quite a distance around it. 



Mr. James C. Allis, of Holly, said his orchard has not yelded more than one 

 half as much when in grass as when cultivated. Has received best returns by 

 plowing under buckwheat, and allowing hens to run in the orchard. 



Mr. Henry Quinby, of llochester, has had more than thirty years of experi- 

 ence, which has satisfied him that cultivating and manuring is the better way. 



Upon motion of John J. Thomas, of Union Springs, it was resolved thata 

 visiting committee of two from each county, be appointed to visit orchards next 

 summer, and report at next meeting which system, grass or culture, is best. 



Mr. Woodward said that Peter Miller, a neighbor,formerly fed a great many 

 cattle, and used their manure on his orchard of fifteen acres. His soil is very 

 rich and trees very large. Last year sold his fruit for over $0,000. Has never 

 been seeded. One year sold his fruit for §9,000. First twelve years cropped 

 his orchard, but since has plowed, cultivated, and manured. The last two or 

 three years has used no manure but ashes. 



Mr. A. C Younglove, Vine Valley, would enter his decided protest against 

 seeding down an orchard. Manure with anything, but sow no crop, clover in 

 particular. There is virtue in coal ashes. 



J. J. Thomas, being called out by the President, said that no general rule 

 could be adopted in the management of orchards, applicable alike to all soils 

 and circumstances. If a farmer asks us if he should give his horses higher or 

 more spare feed, we would naturally inquire what their present condition is be- 

 fore giving an answer. In the same way, we can not say whether an orchard needs 

 richer culture until we know whether that orchard is already too feeble or too 

 thrifty. To prescribe a rule for all orchards alike would be quackery. Yet for 

 the soils of Western New Y'ork it would be safe to say that all young orchards 

 should be well cultivated for many years while young. Afterwards, on very rich 

 soils they might be seeded to grass and pastured short by sheep and swine. In 

 the rich lands of the West they might require no culture ; at the East very rich 

 culture — according to circumstances. Some soils are deep, and the roots of 

 trees run three feet deep into the subsoil ; this might be plowed deep without 

 harm : in other more shallow soils the roots would be nearer the surface, and 

 shallow culture would be essential. One of the most important truths for all 

 orchardists to understand is the length of the roots. Trees fourteen years old 

 have been found with roots that have extended thirty feet on each side. Mere 

 circles of cultivated soils would be of no value to these ; the whole surface must 

 be subjected to cultivation. 



The Michigan Agricultural College demonstrated that a circle cultivated ten 

 feet in diameter around the trees had no effect, but ten feet in grass and 

 remainder cultivated, had all the effect of entire cultivation. One of the finest 

 orchards he ever saw was in Pennsylvania, and part was in grass but heavily 

 manured, and the other cultivated but not manured. If soil is rich enough 

 fruit will grow in grass. 



Mr. Hooker wanted to know if Mr. Thomas' illustration was not evidence 

 that plowing will not take the place of manure. Manure is esssential. cultiva- 

 tion non-essential. 



