STATK HORTin I/rrRAI, .-^onETY. 29 



If your defiiiiiioii is a guuti unc, ii imist be susceptible of being put 

 into practice ; and if properly practiced must, as a rule, result more 

 favorably than any other general method. For example : if you should 

 say, " Keep the trees and ground clean and cultivate the soil," then, as a 

 rule, this, when practiced, should result more favorably than leaving the 

 soil uncultivated, the surface covered with rubbish and the trees 

 uncleaned. Consequently, if an orchardist can be persuaded to go with 

 you no farther to put into practice, in the broadest sense, the require- 

 ments of your general definition of this primary head, he is profited 

 thereby, and all the surrounding orchards are benefited ; and thus far, at 

 least, co-operation is obtained. As to the entomological bearing, no 

 general definition will be perfect unless it includes expressly, or by impli- 

 cation, the insect element. 



Assuming then that your definition has been given, we will now take 

 our next step. As our general heads under orchard culture we have : 

 I. Clean, thorough culture'; II. Careless, slovenly culture — representing 

 two opposing grand divisions. The first, as we have agreed, results more 

 favorably in respect to insect injuries than the second, and therefore con- 

 stitutes our general heading in the systematic arrangemeat for fighting 

 our insect foes. But orchard culture has several divisions, into each of 

 which this principle of clean, thorough culture should be carried. Let 

 us make this division : 



CULTURE OF THE ORCHARD. 



I. Clean, thorough culture. 



1. In planting. 



2. In cultivating the soil (including all that relates to mulching, 



manuring, etc.j 



3. In prurting (including all that relates to keeping the trees clean 



and in good order). 



4. In harvesting the fruit (including all that relates to the care and 



manipulation of the fruit — good and bad). 



Taking these in the order they stand, let us see how far each may be 

 used as a means of preventing insect injuries, or counteracting these foes; 

 and, in doing this, it will be impossible at present to do more than give 

 a general outline ; particulars will have to be omitted. And I state here, 

 that much, which I will mention, you have long been familiar with ; but 

 you will please remember I am simply endeavoring to give the indica- 

 tions from the insect side, and where these agree with the plant side, so 

 much the better, and besides, I am giving chiefly the fundamental prin- 

 ciples. 



Location undoubtedly has some bearing upon the insect question ; 

 but from the slight examination I have given this point, I am rather in- 

 clined to believe the indications from the two sides clash here, that is to 

 say, the location best adapted to plant growth and fruit development is 

 most likely to be infested by injurious insects. But, be this as it may, 

 the orchardist, as a general rule, must i)lant in the soil he possesses, there- 

 fore we may dismiss this point without further consideration. 



