252 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



solved that problem was by using peach fillers which came into bearing 

 with us the third simimer. 1 know a great many people claim, both in 

 this Slate and other states, that it is better to use apple fillers than 

 to use peach fillers. All well and good if they can solve that particu- 

 lar problem, (hen 1 say use apple fillers; but with us the placing of 

 apple fillers paid practically nothing upon the investment. We sup- 

 port the peach trees b}' jjlanting potatoes between the rows the first 

 two years. After the second year we practice clean cultivation and 

 cultivate constantly from the beginning of spring until the middle of 

 July, depending on the weather conditions. In the apple orchard, 

 however, owing to the fact that it is situated on a very steep hill we 

 have thrown it into sod so as to prevent erosion. 



Peaches so far have been very profitable with us. I cannot give you 

 the exact figures for last year's operations. The prices were lower 

 than in some preceding years, but I think I am safe in saying that the 

 gross proceeds for the season averaged close to one dollar a basket. 

 Our transportation charges are five cents. We have a good and easily 

 accessible market in Eeading. The picking, packing and hauling cost 

 seven or eight cents. Although this prunniug, thinning, spraying and 

 cultivation costs considerable, you notwithstanding can easily see that 

 there is still a verj^ handsome profit on your investment. Grandfather 

 has about 20 acres in apples. I think 14 or 15 years old and this last 

 year he had close to 900 barrels which realized him about $5,000 to- 

 gether with the pickups and culls ; so that you can see that there again 

 is a very nice profit, and this orchard is just coming into its prime 

 and this year there promises to be a greatly increased yield. 



Now one of the chief reasons, in my mind, for this success is the 

 fact that he thoroughly understands the fundamental jjrinciples of 

 fruit culture and carries them out to the minutest detail. Many a time 

 that good peach money went into that apple orchard and those trees 

 had to be treated just right ; they had to be nursed through babyhood 

 until now they are becoming giants ready to bring forth their luscious 

 fruit and pay back in golden sheckles for the careful treatment they 

 received in younger days. And therein, gentlemen, lies the fact why 

 there are so many failures not only in horticulture but in general 

 farming as well. If we would become a successful horticulturist it is 

 not sufficient that we know that if we put the tree into the ground and 

 if it receive a fair supply of rain it will grow and produce a large 

 tree and will bear beautiful fruit. No, we must know why that tree 

 grows and how it grows. We must carefully keep trace of the statis- 

 tics of this State and other states so that we may be able to determine 

 when we wish to plant an orchard what kind or class of fruit is going 

 to be in most demand in our locality. 



After we have determined the class, we have to determine the par- 

 ticular varieties, the best adapted to our soil, climate and market con- 

 ditions. We have got to know what kind of fertilizer to use to pro- 

 duce the maximum quantity of that fruit. We have got to prune, 

 spray and cultivate it. In short, we have got to know all the funda- 

 mental principles covering the growth of that tree from the time it is 

 a sapling until it reaches mature age; and when we know these we 

 have a golden opj)ortunity before us when we plant our orchard. Of 

 course, in this world there are all kinds of opportunities for some men 

 ,and none for others. For instance, I see a fertile field out here. If I 



