374 State Horticulturol Society. 



As most of these orchards are in sod, the first work is the plowing 

 of the land which should be done as early in the spring as possible, 

 taking care not to injure the roots. From this time until the first of 

 August a harrow should be used once a week or ten days, so as to 

 keep down the weeds and grass and produce a dust mulch to preserve 

 the moisture. At the last harrowing two bushels of oats per acre should 

 be shown, to afiford a cover crop for the winter. The following spring 

 this can be worked into the soil with a disc harrow, and no plowing 

 will be needed. This treatment of the soil will give the best results 

 under average conditions, but it may be modified to suit the circum- 

 stances. Thus if the trees are far enough apart to make it desirable, 

 some such crop ras. pumpkins, squash or cucumbers may be grown be- 

 tween the trees, but a grain crop should never be sown in the spring. 

 If the soil is rich and suiTiciently moist not to suffer in dry summers, 

 the orchard may be seeded to red clover in July or early August and 

 this can be grown until the second spring, when it should be turned 

 under and the land kept in cultivation until August. 



No general rule for pruning can be given except that all dead 

 branches should be removed, water sprouts should be cut out, and if 

 the heads are too thick the branches that cross or crowd can be taken 

 out. It often happens that in the old orchards that the growth has 

 become stunted, and if such is the case it is a good plan to severely 

 cut back the branches. When the branches are so low as to make culti- 

 vation beneath the trees difficult, the trouble can often be corrected 

 without cutting ofif any of the main branches, by removing the enfls 

 that hang down towards the ground. 



There are few old orchards that will not be benefited by manuring 

 and when it is possible to apply fifteen to twenty two-horse loads ot 

 partially decomposed manure per acre very marked results can usually 

 be seen. When a heavy sod has been turned under, this will go far 

 towards furnishing food for the growth of the tree during the following 

 season, and perhaps for one crop of fruit, but for the best results manuic 

 must be used and with no sparing hand. Unleached wood ashes will 

 also be beneficial, and, if manure cannot be secured in abundance, it can 

 often be supplemented to advantage with potash salts, acid phosphate 

 and nitrate of soda. 



For the spraying of the trees, Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, 

 or arsenic, are all that will be required under ordinary circumstances. 

 Three or four applications will generally be found profitable. The first 

 should be made just before the blossoms open and the others at intervals 

 of two or three weeks. Thoroughness in making the applications is 



