64 State Horticultural Society. 



THE SETTING AND MANAGEMENT OF ORCHARDS IN 



MISSOURI. 



First Prize Essay by Student of the Short Course in Horticulture at 



Cokimbia, Mo. 



(By F. W. Closs, Allenton, Mo.) 



In setting out a commercial orchard, the financial success of the 

 venture depends more upon the quality of the fruit produced than on 

 the quantit}-. A love for horticulture is probably the prime requisite 

 to success, every detail of the work demanding careful and intelligent 

 attention. , 



The first fruit to be considered in this paper is the appple, which 

 ranks highest among the cultivated fruits of the State of Missouri, 



The choice of a site for the orchard should be governed by several 

 rules; first, by its proximity to transportation; second, by the contour 

 •of the land, preferably a north slope ; third, by the soil which should be 

 firm with a porous subsoil. The loess formation of the Missouri river 

 hills is one of the best examples of what good apple soil should be. 

 Having selected the ground, ascertain the demand for varieties at the 

 places into which you intend shipping your crop. Consider the pro- 

 ductiveness of these varieties, their hardiness, keeping qualities, and 

 ease of cultivation in your region and then plant accordingl3\ Among 

 the leading commercial varieties in the State are: Jonathan, Grime's 

 Golden, Maiden Blush and Lowell for early fall and the Ben Davis, 

 Gano, York Imperial, Mammoth Black Twig, Clayton, Huntsman's Fa- 

 vorite, Winesap and Missouri Pippin for winter. 



Select the varieties you wish to grow, keeping in mind that in 

 order to insure cross fertilization, a row of a different varietj^ than 

 that of which the main orchard is composed should be planted here 

 and there. 



Prepare the land early in spring by thorough plowing and har- 

 rowing. Mark off the tree rows twenty-five feet apart each way, 

 starting from a fixed base line. The best trees for planting are two- 

 year-old, headed twelve to eighteen inches from the ground and 

 ordered from a reliable nursery. The best and hardiest trees only 

 should have been taken by the nurseryman for selecting both the seeds 

 for the stocks and the scions. When the trees are received, open 

 the bundles and heel them in, giving each tree plenty of room, but 



