FAEMERS' INSTITUTES. 343 



trees are lost during the first season by neglecting them in this particular. 

 'Next I would allow no man to disturb the ground near the tree. The best rule 

 for this is to imagine a perpendicular line drawn from the tips of the outside 

 branches of the tree to the ground and not allow the ground to be disturbed 

 inside of this limit on no account, but to spread some straw or sawdust once a 

 year or once in two years around your trees, which will effectually keep down 

 the grass and weeds, and furnish the roots of your trees with just the covering 

 they need. Next comes the subject of pruning. This to me is far the most 

 difficult part of my subject to give advice iipon. I sometimes doubt whether 

 there is really any benefit derived from it ; at any rate I Avould advise modera- 

 tion, never cutting any large limbs unless dead, but taking what is called 

 suckers, pinching buds, or cutting small twigs. I also thiuk it best to defer 

 the main part of pruning until November, or just after fruit gathering, as the 

 tree loses far less sap and consequently suffers far less. In gathering fruit I 

 would pick entirely from ladders, allowing no one, unless a small boy, to go 

 into the top of the trees. 



One idea more and I close. It is this : None of us seem to realize that a 

 plant or a tree has such a thing as life ; that they suffer from neglect and abuse 

 in the same manner as our animals do, only they bear it in silence, and Ave pass 

 by indifferent. But, my friends, let us look at this subject a moment ; let us 

 take a kernel of corn ; we see nothing in particular about it ; at the same time 

 we know it contains a germ, and we know tiiat by obeying certain laws, whicli 

 we have found out are necessary, it will grow and produce a beautiful stalk, 

 and just in proportion as we satisfy its wants, just in that proportion will we 

 have a perfect, healthy plant capable of producing numbers of kernels in perfec- 

 tion. The same may be said in regard to trees. Now, how much will we have 

 to change these remarks to make them apply to animals. Please ask my friend 

 Mr. Uhl if he can raise a perfect ox, cow, or horse and disregard their natural 

 wants. Ask him if he should go through his yard some morning and find his 

 hired man with a club four or five feet long pounding his best cow or horse. Do 

 you think he would pass by in silence? Do you think under such treatment he 

 could show such perfection in cattle as he can to-day? But you say the apple 

 tree must stand all this and still be perfect. All I can say, then, you will never 

 have perfect trees. 



Now, my hearers, you have my ideas on the treatment of orchards. If in 

 your judgment I have told you truths, if the laws of nature and the habits of 

 tree life will bear me out in my theories, then, for your own profit and in behalf 

 of our suffering orchards, I trust you will endeavor to think oftener and give 

 more care to this much abused and neglected industry. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. J. A. Scott. — Being a practical fruit grower, I have been much inter- 

 ested in the essay just read. I believe in growing natural stocks and grafting 

 in the top. I am opposed to root grafting. It is a process that will never give 

 healthy trees. 



I fully agree with the essayist in regard to mulching and not -disturbing 

 the roots by plowing. I believe many orchards are injured by too much manur- 

 ing. Fruit trees do not require much manure till they come to bear. After- 

 wards they should have frequent top-dressing. I consider leached ashes valuable 

 for this purpose. I prune very lightly twice each year. If you want to increase 

 the growth of fruit prune when the sap is flowing ; if to promote the growth 



