STATE HORTOIUl/rrRAL SOCIF.TV 



ORCHARD CULTURE. 



Report (ti' tliis connnitttM' \v:is next in order. 

 President Is Mr. .lohnson. of Warsaw, present? 



A. ('. Hiininiond Mr. Johnson expected to be with us, but is 

 kept at home by ill-health. He will seiul in :i rei>()it lor |)ublication. 



Mr. W. T. Nelson, of Wilmington, being then called upon, re- 

 spondetl: 



Mr. Pirmlnit: 



It a])])e;irs from the programme of this meeting that 1 have Ijeen 

 appointed to prejjare a i)ai)er on Orchard Culture. 1 had forgotten 

 that I had been appointed until I received from t)iir Secretary, on 

 the 12th. the ))ublished progranune. 



I shall lirietly give you a few thoughts on the subject, with refer- 

 ence to the culture of the apple. Shall diti'er, ])erhaps, from many, 

 hoping thereby to bring out the views of others who are more com- 

 petent to discuss the subject. Almost any orchardisr 'has his own 

 particular views as to the location of the orchard, soil and the pre- 

 paration, when ami how to plant, varieties, cultivation, etc. The site 

 for an orchard should be uixm high dry land, sloping toward any 

 point of the comi)ass excei)t south. \ ])refer east. If such a loca- 

 tion cannot be had. and the laml is level, it should be thonnighly tile 

 drained. Would select the poorest soil 1 could find in our prairie 

 country. Why 1 said poor soil. \ believe our ])rairie soil, as a general 

 thing, is too rich, and produces too strong a growth, consequently 

 (Uir trees are injured during the severe winters, and in a few years, 

 generally before the tree gets to be old enough to vote, it is eithei- 

 dead or dying. 



I'rrjx/rtifioti of flic CiroiiiKl. Should be ])lowed say eight or ten 

 inches deej) Ijy back-furrowing, leaving deep dead furrows between 

 the rows of trees, and if the planting is to done in the spring the 

 ])lowing should be done the previous fall. I ])refer sjtring planting 

 in the S'orth. The trees should not be planted more than two inches 

 deeper than they staml in the nursery. 1 believe nH)re trees are lost 

 by too dee]) than shallow i)lanting. They should be well mulched 

 with old straw or hay as soon as planted, to prevent injury from sum- 

 mer drouths. 



I)isf(iiirr A/>iirt. -Many opinions are entertained by planters 

 say from sixteen to forty feet. Clo.se planting, from sixteen to 

 twenty feet. I think pi-odnces the best results. Owing to the short 

 life of our orchards. l»y the tinu* the tops interfere with each other, 

 and they l)ecome too thick, they have ceased to be profital)le. and are 



