Winter Meeting. 169' 



What is the best soil for an orchard? 



I would answer : The soil that will grow good corn, wheat, oats,, 

 hemp, potatoes, etc., will grow good apples if the trees are properly- 

 planted' and cared for; but do not plant "spouty" or wet land to trees, 

 even if it is tile drained. Your trees may grow all right for a few years, 

 but when they get to bearing age they are apt to die or produce worth- 

 less fruit. 



Young trees should not be planted much deeper in the orchard 

 than they grew in the nursery row. Spread the roots out well, jolting 

 the tree lightly up and down while covering the roots ; leave no hol- 

 low place under the tree ; tramp the earth well over the roots ; thin out 

 all cross limbs ; cut the head back a little if you prefer ; wash the body 

 of the tree with strong soap-suds ; put on a wooden wrapper and you 

 will have but little else to' do but keep the ground clean the first year. 



The second year you must get the head in proper shape. I don't 

 believe in using the pruning knife very much. If the trees are gone 

 over in i\Iay and June and the buds rubbed ofif where you don't want 

 a limb to grow, very little pruning will be required. Keep that up for 

 five years, and your orchard will need little more attention so far as 

 pruning is concerned, and if you have kept the borers out, you can 

 reasonably expect to be soon rewarded with a crop of fine fruit. 



But I think I hear someone say: "What about the bugs?" Yovi 

 have not said a word about them. No, I did not think it necessary to 

 say anything about them to a man who cares for his trees as above 

 indicated. You will find him up to date in the bug and fungus line. 

 He will take no chances, and will apply the different solutions at the 

 proper time, and be rewarded with a full crop of fruit which will sell at 

 a good price. 



If I am not wearying you, let us look for a while at the orchard 

 that is a sure failure. 



Mr. C, who has been in the cattle business, has met with some 

 heavy losses. He has just heard that Mr. A.' has sold the apples on 

 that young orchard of his for over one hundred dollars per acre, con- 

 cludes it must be a good thing, orders a car load of trees, has his 

 ground plowed and harrowed, runs a deep furrow with a lister both 

 ways, employs a force of hands who in all probabilitv never planted 

 a tree before; starts them planting where the furrows cross; two men 

 working together and probably racing to see who can get to the end 

 of the row first ; some of the trees with a good portion of the roots 

 uncovered, and others put in the ground six or eight inches too deep. 

 The result is, of course, that a great many trees die the first year. The 

 cultivation they receive is on a par with the planting, and the care 



