SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 349 



orchard comes into bearing, it will pay to ^ive it extra attention. 

 It may need sprinklino; with some insecticide to check the canker 

 worm iind codlinj? moth. Pearly in the season lio^s and sheep may 

 be allowed to run in the orchard at intervals, to pick up the wormy, 

 immature fruit. 



When gathering, pick carefully by hand, and put nothing that 

 drops on the ground with the picked apples. Early apples may need 

 going over twice, selecting each time the colored, matured fruit. 

 When picking winter apples, extra care should be taken to handle 

 them carefully and sort uj) closely. I prefer to pick in half-bushtd 

 baskets, covered on the bottom with felt, and have the pickers empty 

 them direct on a slat sorting table, where one man attends to all the 

 sorting. The first and second grades can usually be barreled and 

 sold; and the smaller, imperfect ones will go to the cider mill, along 

 with the best of the dropped apples. 



But you say, "all this is too much work; it won't pay." Per- 

 haps not; I do not propose to argue that point. Each one must 

 judge for himself; but of this I am sure, the otlicr way will not i)ay. 

 There may have been a time when it would do to neglect an orchard 

 and still make it profitable, but that time is past. 



Notwithstanding the reverses orchardists have lately met with, 

 I believe the apple will still continue to ha the fruit of our country; 

 but it will only be by thoroiojh work in all the details. 



DISCUSSION 



Mr. Mortimer — I would like the opinion of members as to late 

 cultivation to assist perfect ripening. In view of late growth after 

 a summer's drouth, would it not be better to continue cultivation 

 throughout the season? 



Mr. Kellogg — It is well known that the apple matures a growth 

 the latter part of June or July. After this time it is second growth. 1 f 

 we stop cultivating at this time we will have no second growth; for 

 strawberries, keep up the cultivation; for blackberries and rasji- 

 berries, stop cultivation, the same as the apple. 



Professor Budd — My observations are that it is not natural for 

 any tree to grow on our dark soil after July or August. A tree, to 

 get ready for winter, must have roots come up near the surface of 

 the ground, because there is vegetable mold and free nitrogen to lie 

 had there. You may take an orchard, one half cultivated late, the 

 other half sowed to buckwheat, and as far as you can see the orchard 

 you can distinguish the benefit of this covering, ami we cannot im- 

 prove upon the plan of sowing buckwheat in a young orchard. In 



