No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 701 



The destiny of our nation will ever be safe while it is guided by the 

 sons of honest toil, and ma}' we here lay our tribute, with that of a 

 nation, at the feet of the true, honest, faithful farmer. 



FRUIT CULTURE. 



By S. A. GUTSHALL, iVew Germantown, Pa. 



Success in fruit culture, as in all classes of business, depends per- 

 haps more on the person than upon anything else. A lazy, careless 

 man cannot make a success of fruit culture. Soil, location, varie- 

 ties, etc., have something to do, but solid, hard work will overcome 

 many of the obstacles. 



Starvation is, I believe, one the greatest causes of failure; lack of 

 cultivation another; varieties not suited to your locality another; 

 experimenting with new kinds on the strength of what some long- 

 winded agent may saj^, another. As regards fertilizing, it is not so 

 important what kind of fertilizer you use. Barnyard manure is as 

 good as any. Mr. Clark Bower asked me sometime ago why his 

 orchard was not doing any good. I said: '^\re you manuring it every 

 fall?" "No." "You manure and possibly use commercial fertilizer 

 on your other fields?" "Yes." The orchard is expected to give a 

 crop of grain or grass, as well as a fruit crop and no feed. Cultivate 

 your ground. Some farmers have their hogs do this for them. Well, 

 hoggish cultivation, is perhaps, better than none. I would prefer 

 a cultivator or spring tooth harrow. A loose top soil is necessary. 

 Careful, systematic pruning has much to do in making a success of 

 fruit cultivation. An open head, no branches crossing others, 

 avoid forks, are the main points in pruning, along with common sense, 

 I will try to make pruning a little more clear to you. Remember 

 when your tree is planted it must be cut back to a stub. Now allow 

 your limbs to start wherever you want them by rubbing off the buds. 

 If you want your trees to head low start your limbs low, bearing 

 in mind that a limb never gets any higher from the ground. 



Different varieties require different methods. Judgment must be 

 used. Do not butcher your tree by too severe pruning. All kinds 

 of insects that are liable to injure fruit trees must be kept in check 

 if good results are to be expected. The borer, perhaps, is one of 

 the most injurious pests the fruit grower has to fight and one per- 

 haps that is most neglected. Without careful watching, especially 

 with peach, your orchard may be ruined in one or two seasons. The 

 only remedy for this pest is getting down on your knees and with 

 a knife hunt the borer out. Many a man plants trees in sod or along 

 fences simply for the borers to eat. As to insects that eat the leaf 

 or attack the fruit, the only sure remedy is to spray your trees. It 

 would pay eveiy man to own a s])rayer if he have but a dozen trees. 



My own experience in fruit culture, covering a period of twenty 

 years, may be of interest to you. Starting as I did on a piece of land 



