74 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



coaxing will not straighten. I do not like to sell crooked trees, but you 

 take such varieties as 1 have mentioned and you cannot help yourself; 

 they won't grow straight. Another crooked grower is the Stannard — Mr. 

 Dunlap's tree — It is a perfect abomination to the nurseryman. 



Mr. M. L. Dunlap — It wants a little moral suasion and cutting back 

 to bring it into shape. 



It is a remedy for the crooked growing varieties to cut them back 

 near the ground at one year old. I know a man who adopts this prac- 

 tice upon all his trees, with good results. 



DISCUSSION ON ORCHARD CULTURE. 

 The Secretary — I would like to hear from Judge Baldwin upon 

 the subject of Orchard Culture. 



Mr. Baldwin, La Salle Co. — I do not know that I can impart 

 any light upon this subject. If 1 were going to cultivate trees for my- 

 self, I would like to begin in the nursery, where I would plant them 

 about one foot apart, and let them grow till the third year, when I would 

 transfer to the orchard, setting the trees twenty feet apart, so that the 

 trees might occupy the ground and shade each other. I would cul- 

 tivate for five or six years, until they came into bearing. Perhaps, heavy 

 mulching would do as well but I prefer the cultivation. I would 

 not seed to grass, especially at this early age, for I am convinced that a 

 crop of grass in a young orchard is injurious. 



After the trees have grown so as to shade the ground, I would 

 seed to clover, and plow up every few years ; a little barnyard manure 

 will not hurt them. I would prune sparingly till they come into bearing. 



Mr. Miller, Iowa — Have you ever seen an orchard where the 

 trees were set ten feet apart 1 



Mr. Baldwin — Yes, I have, and never saw a better. 



Mr. Miller — Have you ever seen them planted thirty feet apart } 



Mr. Baldwin — Yes, and they were more affected with drouth. 

 My first planting of an orchard was thirty feet apart. 



Mr. Cooper — I will relate my experience. In the year 1856 I set 

 an orchard on my farm in Iowa, the trees sixteen feet apart, and trained 

 them low ; I cultivated the ground in vegetables and small fruits, such 

 as would not be in the way of the trees, being careful to keep the plow 

 from breaking the roots; I cultivated in this way for a few years, until 

 they shaded the ground, when they were able to take care of themselves, 

 with the exception of running the cultivator to keep down the weeds. 



