Summer Meeting. 133 



'^5 



It is best to plant one-year-old trees, or two-year-old trees if extra 

 care is taken with the roots. ]\Iore care should be taken in heeling 

 peaches than apples when they are taken from the nursery row. The 

 best time to plant is in the spring. Make holes large enough so the roots 

 will not be crowded, and put loose dirt around them and tramp it in 

 firmly. Plant i6 1-2 feet apart each w'ay. 



The first year's pruning cut all branches off, but not too close ; leave 

 the bud under each branch. After the first year, in pruning, leave about 

 half of the one-year-old wood and keep the tree in good shape, as near 

 conical as possible. When the trees get old and large, it is well to cut 

 back into 3 or 4-year-old wood to renew the growth. 



In spraying for insects and fungus diseases, on tree and fruit b«^ 

 careful, as peach trees are very tender in regard to poison. Do not use 

 arsenate of soda, but use arsenate of lead or Paris green, and make a 

 weak solution. ' 



Do not let the tree have more fruit than it can hold up ; the peaches 

 should not be closer than fovir inches. Gather as soon as the fruit parts 

 easily from the stem. It is better to make from 3 to 5 pickings. In ship- 

 ping, pack fancy in 4 to 6 basket crates, 1-3 bushel boxes for Xo. i 

 peaches and 1-4 bushel baskets for soft ones. 



The great trouble in raising pears is the blight. It is a kind of fungus 

 disease that affects the tender twigs, and then spreads. The Standards 

 blight the worst, so it is better to plant on poor, high, heavy clay soil, 

 as the growth will not be so rapid, and it is not so apt to blight. The 

 Half-Standards are not so easy to blight, for they are grafted on quince 

 root, with part of the scion put underground, so it will take root and the 

 quince root seems to check the growth of the tree, so it does not blight so 

 badly. Sonje varieties will not do any good, only as a dwarf, so they are 

 grafted on a quince root, with the scion above ground. Plant 12 1-2 feet 

 apart, and dig the holes deep and large, so you can get plenty of loose dirt 

 around them, but tramp in firm. 



Head pears low, and prune back a year's growth about half. Cul- 

 tivate for three years, then sow to grass. Gather as soon as the stem 

 of the fruit will part from the tree, and put in boxes and barrels in some 

 dark place to ripen. 



Propagate the quince by grafting on apple root one inch long, and 

 also by cuttings. The best soil rs heavy, limestone, clay land, with good 

 top soil, well manured. Cultivate for about two years, then mulch. 



Graft the cherry on ''Mahaleb" root, or ''Morello" and "^Nlazzard" 

 in South Missouri. In grafting at the crown, use the whole root. Bud 

 in July wdiile the stocks are growing rapidly. Plant on good, rich soil, 

 high and dry, with good subsoil. Plant in the spring, and dig large 



