No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 241 



time. But if your orchards have an abundance of wood, having the 

 age with no inclination to bear fruit then you must adopt some other 

 method. You must check the superfluous growth and direct its 

 energies in other channels. There are various ways to attain this; 

 perhaps you have been giving too much nitrogenous food and too 

 high culture. Try seeding to grass for a season or two giving it more 

 potash and phosphoric acid, and prune your trees in June. You will 

 find that instead of wasting its energies in making terminal wood 

 it will develop fruit spurs throughout the tree which the follow- 

 ing season will bear an abundant crop. If a tree, after all judicious 

 means has been tried, still fails to bear, try the heroic remedy, 

 ringing the tree. Take a sharp knife, make an incision entirely 

 around the trunk or limbs, make another one an ^ or :J inch from, but 

 parallel with the first and remove the strip of bark. This must be 

 done in June when the sap flows freely, being careful not to destroy 

 the cambium. Or you may wrap a wire tight around the limbs. 

 Either of these methods check the return flow of sap and develops 

 fruit buds. If you doubt, try it. It will respond without fail and if 

 properly done will do no injury to the tree. But as my article is 

 getting lengthy, I will close with a few safe rules. 



Before planting, prune. After planting, prune. If growth is too 

 strong, prune to check it. If the growth is too w^eak^ prune to make 

 more vigorous. Prune for wood, prune for fruit. Avoid all forks. 

 Remove ail cross limbs. Cut out all dead wood. On cutting off 

 limbs, leave no stubs but cut close to the trunk or larger limbs. 

 Keep the trunk and larger limbs shaded. Encourage growth of fruit 

 spurs along all limbs that the fruit will be well distributed and not 

 all on outside limbs. By using good judgment, pruning and fer- 

 tilizing liberally but judiciously the farmer will find the family 

 orchard will be the most profitable part of his farm, besides the great 

 pleasure it affords himself and family. 



ROUND TABLE— SECTION B. 

 (Conducted by Prof. Butz and Dr. Funk). 



QUESTION: Would you recommend stable manure for the peach 

 orchard?" 



Answer: I am speaking only of the apple. You can determine that 

 problem best by making an experiment. It is between you and your 

 own soil. The expert prefers rather the poorer soil on which to 

 grow peaches. 



MR. SCHWARZ: A great many people have an idea that if a tree 

 is planted toward the south, they will get different results. 



Answer: Nothing in it. I don't care what way your orchard 

 stands, whether it is pear, peach, plum or apple, if your trees are 



16—7—1904 



