PROCEEDINGS OF KINDRED SOCIETIES. 267 



acreage no one can tell. Competition will be strong and only those local- 

 eties having favorable soil and good shipping facilities can make it 

 profitable. 



J. G. Ramsdell's paper on " Smotheration " was not forthcoming. H« 

 said he had prepared the paper, when he understood from the powers that 

 be that it would not be wanted, and so sent it away for publication, and 

 was very much surprised to see it upon the programme. 



J. G. Ramsdell: In this matter of fruit discussion, it has been said 

 the subject is worn out and so we must adopt new names if not new 

 matter, and I adopted " Smotheration " to our common way of pruning, 

 for between the neglect and butchering of our fruit trees, which is so 

 universal, it is a wonder that we have any fruit. The butchering of fruit 

 trees I call smotheration, and is illustrated by the farmer who takes an ax 

 and cuts all within his reach or climbs to the middle of the tree and 

 slashes right and left; while the true theory is to cut out the superfluous 

 branches and shorten back so as to have no dead limbs smothered by too 

 much foliage. This applies more to apples and peaches than to other 

 fruit trees, which must be pruned and thinned in order to bear a crop. 



The afternoon session of Dec. 17 opened with a motion by Mr. Phillips, 

 that the time for electing officers be changed to 3 o'clock P. M. J. L. 

 Hopkins then read his paper on growing apple trees in nursery rows. 



The secretary read a paper by A. J. Bracelin of Watson, given below, on 



THE APPLE ORCHARD AND ITS MANAGEMENT. 



That location and soil have much to do with the success or failure of an 

 apple orchard, no observing person will deny. My ideal location is a plat 

 sloping toward the south; the soil, any that will produce good crops of 

 wheat and corn and naturally drains itself. Such soil, in Allegan county, 

 is generally a gravelly loam, rich in vegetable matter, containing also a 

 large quantity of lime. The subsoil is somewhat of the same nature, so 

 that no artificial drainage is needed. Unquestionably the location and 

 soil make this county one of the foremost in the state, for variety and fin* 

 quality of apples. There are also a variety of soils, running from the 

 light sands of the plains to the heavy, undrained clay bottoms, much of 

 which may be made to produce good apples by making such places con- 

 form as nearly as possible to our ideal. The orchard should have perfect 

 drainage and sunlight. Trees will not thrive in shaded places nor in soils 

 containing an excess of water. With our best soils and locations, and 

 with good varieties, it is hardly possible not to grow an abundance of 

 choice fruit in favorable years. Such soils contain a large amount of plant 

 food at present, but the process of exhaustion is going on, and many of 

 our best apple crops are obtained without a seeming effort on the part of 

 the growers. In selecting varieties, one should be governed greatly by a 

 knowledge of sorts that are vigorous growers and bear well in his own 

 locality. Many sad failures could be cited, where persons setting new 

 orchards ignored this principle. 



A few thoughts about some of the leading established varieties may 

 prove acceptable. That the Baldwin heads the list of commercial apples 

 there is little doubt. Indeed, it is really a good family apple, and com- 

 bines more good qualities, taking tree and apple together, than any other 

 apple I know of for_;^this locality. The Greening is another widely know* 



