No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 287 



peach, as with the apple, is oue of the worst enemies. Examine your 

 trees thorouj^hly at least twice each year, and destroy them. Do not 

 plant too many varieties; and as with the apple, «uch as have been 

 tried and succeed in your locality. 



Pears and chei'ries will grow on almost any soil, and have fewer in 

 sect enemies than the apple and peach, but require more care in plant- 

 ing. Pruning is not so»importaut as with the apple and peach, for the 

 reason wherever you cut, suckers are likely to start and make a 

 brush heap of the top of your tree. 



Grapes can be grow^n on nearly all soils, provided you plant hardy 

 varieties. Along the »ides of our mountains and ridges wild ^^rape 

 vines grow where there appears to be nothing but stones and rocks. 

 The grape, unlike the apple, peach, etc., cannot be grown without 

 cultivation, fertilizing, pruning, and the use of common sense. All 

 these are needed to make grape growing a success. Severe pruning 

 is necessary in grape growing. Prune out all dead wood, and cut 

 back to one, two or three buds. The grape always grow® on wood 

 of the same year, grown, as a rule, out of last years wood; for this 

 reason severe pruning is necessary to force growth of new wood, and 

 to keep vine from over-bearing. If allowed to over-bear, grapes will 

 not mature. 



I could continue this list indefinitely, but the time allotted me is 

 too short to more than touch upon a few of the varieties. Volumes 

 have been written on the subject of ^'Fruit Growing" by abler pens 

 than mine. 



FRUIT GROWING FOR PROFIT. 



Profit in fruit growing depends on attention to the smallest details. 

 The merchant who gives attention to the smallest details of his 

 business, will in most cases succeed. The manufacturer, if the price 

 of his products is low, will make a profit out of his waste material. 

 If the farmer as a fruit grower would give the same attention as the 

 merchant or manufacturer, profit would be assured; but in most 

 cases the tree is planted, cattle are allowed to destroy, or no care 

 or attention is paid to it; if the tree comes into bearing, it is not 

 cultivated, pruned or in any way cared for. The result will be small, 

 knotty, almost worthless fruit. 



If profit in fruit growing is to be secured, let it be given thorough 

 cultivation, careful pruning, spray at the proper time, thoroughly ex- 

 amine your trees at least twice each year for borers. 



When overloaded, thin out the fruit. The farmer will spend day 

 after day thinning out corn, knowing that it will pay him well in 

 the large ears he will get. Thinning fruit will bring as much profit, 

 if done at the proper time. 



Pick when fruit is fully matured. Do not pick two weeks earlier 

 or later to suit some phase of the moon. Handle carefully as you 



