No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 479 



matters discussed. I eaimot agree with all that was said by the 

 gentlemen who prepared those papers, but they are worthy papers 

 and have brought out many good thoughts. I am like my friend Mr. 

 ffaekel, I have not had much success in growing all varieties on 

 one piece of ground. 



MR. HOOVER: I want to make a few remarks in regard to apple 

 orchards. As some people know, I have been a tree planter for 

 a number of years. I wish to point out a few errors in regard to 

 the matter of planting and taking care of trees. One of the great- 

 est mistakes made by many of our people in my section is in select- 

 ing trees. They take in the branches of the top more than the roots. 

 And then the other, particularly, that we heard here so well and ably 

 discussed, we cannot have too much loose soil to let the young roots 

 grow\ We must start right. 



In cutting back, there is a great deal of trouble to impress people 

 that the cutting back of the top of the tree is the very thing to 

 do in the start. The more top there is, the greater effort the tree 

 must make to push forward and grow. The top should be very 

 small; in peach trees none at all; in other varieties, I cut back se- 

 verely apples and pears; not so much for cherries. My experience is 

 that cherry will not bear as severe pruning or cutting back as other 

 trees; but the peach, by experience, succeeds best by cutting back, 

 cutting the top away altogether. But it is difficult to make the 

 people believe and only by experience can you convince them. 



Another difficulty or trouble with our tree growers is they don't 

 carry out what we heard in these papers, and that is to take care 

 of the tree after planting, and the result is the same as if you 

 planted corn and left it to itself. 



There is one other thing, and that is in the form of the top of the 

 tree. Never allow a fork to grow at the top. If it should have two 

 branches at the top cut out the lighter one or some day a storm 

 will come along and down goes your split in half. 



There is a great deal of practical information in those papers and 

 in fact I myself, although I have been trying for years to get the 

 best results, got a few things that I shall take home with me not 

 only for myself but for others. I shall do so in not only this but 

 everything else. Whatever benefits I have received I will take 

 home to my neighbors and friends. 



MR. MILLER (Somerset county): I have been sitting in this con- 

 vention of almost three days and did not have a word to say; but the 

 idea struck me that most of these papers are from specialists; they 

 are not from the general farmer. If we want to do what you have 

 said we should do on a farm of 200 acres, where there is but one 

 man and a boy, and you have heaped three years into one at least. If 



