Summer Meeting-. 65 



'^> 



taking care not to leave open spaces around the roots. When ready 

 for planting, prune to a pyramidal form and avoid all forks. It is 

 usually necessary to prune the roots also, but do not leave them 

 mere stubs. The holes for the trees should be about fifteen inches 

 •square and deep. Put a little loose top soil in the bottom of the hole, 

 place the tree into it one inch lower than it stood in the nursery, hold 

 it upright and let the roots spread in their natural position. Turn 

 the largest roots and branches to the southwest. Now fill in the soil, 

 shaking the tree gently to sift it well about the roots and then tramp 

 firmly. As a preventive measure against the woolly aphis, two hand- 

 fulls of powered tobacco may be put into each hole before filling. In 

 -order to keep away rabbits put a wooden wrapper around each tree ; 

 this also lessens the liability of attacks from borers as well as injuries 

 from the whiffle tree when cultivating. 



Cultivate the orchard carefully, discontinuing in time to allow 

 the trees to mature their wood for winter. Weather conditions must, 

 of course, regulate this time. It is well to sow a cover crop in late 

 autumn, in order to protect the ground over winter and to prevent the 

 soil from \vashing. In spring this may be plowed under. If desirable, 

 •such crops as tobacco, corn or vegetables which need frequent cultivat- 

 ing may be grown between the rows while the trees are young. Ber- 

 ries also may be profitably grown in this way. 



If timber land is to be used for the orchard, cut the timber and 

 burn the wood in fall, allowing the ashes to remain as a fertilizer. 

 Plow the land deeply during winter and cross plow in spring. This 

 iiew land is very desirable. If the land js old or lacks fertility, it mav 

 be improved by deep subsoiling, and then by growing a crop of cow 

 '|)eas, soy beans or clover on it during the summer and turning it 

 anider in fall. 



When the trees come into bearing and the fruit is about one-third 

 grown, begin thinning out, leaving' the apples four to six inches 

 apart. This preserves the strength of the tree and insures a better 

 -quality of fruit. Preparatory to gathering, provide the necessary 

 equipmentin the way of ladders, sacks, lined baskets, barrels, sorting 

 tables and sheds. Be careful in picking the fruit to twist it in order 

 that the stem may be retained; much harm is often done by indis- 

 'criminate pulling of fruit and this point should be given special at- 

 tention. Only number ones and twos are picked into the ba'skets, all 

 others being allowed to drop on the ground. Another point here 

 is of importance; in placing the apples into the basket, pickers should 

 Jiot be allowed to drop them from some distance, but should lay them 



H-5 



