No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 591 



Now, how much moisture do you suppose one acre will take out of 

 the soil in twenty-four hours? Every dry day in June, with the 

 North wind blowing, every single acre of meadow grass will take 

 up one hundred tons of water. What will a single large tree take 

 up? It will require about six and one-half tons of water every 

 twenty-four hours. Then we must make a point of conserving this 

 moisture, and that is done by the stirring and restirring of the 

 soil until we hold back the water supply that is so abundant in this 

 subsoil. 



I made an experiment in peach culture a few years ago. In start- 

 ing in at the beginning, I had followed the methods of the peach 

 growers of Michigan. I began in this orchard the system of daily 

 tillage, and continued it until those peaches were ripened and mar- 

 keted. That season we did not have a rain fall of an inch from the 

 time the peaches were one-quarer grown until they were marketed. 

 Every day that orchard was harrowed, one day in one direction, 

 and the other in the next. While we were marketing the early ones, 

 the harrowing was still going on for the latter ones, and while the 

 market was filled with peaches selling at fifty cents a basket, I did 

 not sell a carrier for less than |2.50. You may say that was ex- 

 pensive; so it was, but look at the returns from an acre of peaches 

 at that price. It x>roved that we can successfully provide against 

 drought by proper tillage and with irrigation. 



PENNSYLVANIA HOKTICULTURE^ 



By PROP. R. L. WATTS, State College, Pa. 



The following is a brief outline of the lecture delivered on this 

 subject with views which were secured by the speaker as he had 

 opportunity. 



Pennsylvania horticulture may be best shown by contrasting with 

 operations along horticultural lines in other states. Our State 

 occupies a prominent place in practically all of the varied lines of 

 commercial horticulture. Immense green houses have been built in 

 recent years and the growing of vegetables as well as flowers is 

 conducted on a much larger scale than a few years ago. The fruit 

 industry has received a wonderful impetus during the past three or 

 four years. Large areas are being planted to apples, peaches, plums 

 and other fruits and there is every reason to believe that the develop- 

 ments of the near future will be even greater. The pictures which 

 you will see to-night will show that we are not behind other regions 

 which are well known for their aggressiveness. 



Starting in Ohio, we first want to give you some idea of the ex- 

 tensive work done in the greenhouses and gardens of M. L. Rue- 

 tenik. On this farm we find about two and three-fourths acres 



•Illustrated by lantern slides. 



38 



