TRANSACTIONS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 347 



ducing crops, if we would arrive at positive conclusions. We see, at least, 

 from these discussions, that we all have much to learn, and that it will not 

 do to "jump at conclusions." 



Mr. Austin — It is not safe to keep hogs in orchards ; they often 

 damage the trees by rubbing against them. 



Mr. McWhorter stated, also, that they sometimes gnaw trees. 



Mr. Wier said that he knows a field which has been cultivated in 

 corn for thirty-five successive years, and which this year bore an immense 

 crop. His theory is that the frequent and abundant rains of the past season 

 carried down manure from the atmosphere, and also dissolved much 

 which was already in the soil. 



The President — I can not understand that we can take yearly crops 

 from the soil, whether of fruits or cereals, without replenishing it. The 

 essay says return to the land as much as we take from it, and I think this 

 is sound advice. 



Mr. Periam — In 1849 I planted an orchard on sandy land, with a 

 rich, deep soil, and manured it every year ; and it has borne largely 

 almost every year. It is not necessary that we manure our orchards every 

 year, if we keep the soil well pulverized. The bodies of trees should be 

 shaded, to prevent sun-scald, until large enough so that the branches will 

 shade the trunks. The better way is to stake trees when planted, to keep 

 them upright. In reference to the remarks about seedling orchards, I 

 will say that I don't believe that seedlings, as a rule, bear better than the 

 average of our grafted varieties. 



Mr. Plum (of Wisconsin) — I am rather a bashful man, yet I wish to 

 say a few words before this subject is dismissed ; for, as fruit growers, we 

 have been in the dark on this matter of cultivation. How shall we cul- 

 tivate our orchards ? All farmers want to take a crop of some kind — 

 grass or cereals — from their orchards every year; hence they manure and 

 cultivate and crop, and their trees begin to die. Then they seed down 

 their orchards and turn in their stock to feed off the grass, and so go to 

 the other extreme. We should avoid these extremes of cultivation and grass ; 

 yet I have almost come to the conclusion that upon our rich prairies it is 

 better to keep the trees the most of the time in grass. I have found the 

 best orchards on sandy lands, having a clayey subsoil. Wherever good 

 white oak trees grow, apple orchards will flourish. In general, however, 

 if farmers will give their trees as much care as they do their stock and 

 corn, they will succeed. Our soil is richer than yours here, and we must 

 treat our trees somewhat differently. 



