No. 7. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 521 



ORtiHARD MANAGEMENT. 



Our question as to heavy pruning of apple trees brought out a 

 wide difference of opinion, our corresi)ondents being almost equally 

 divided. We can summarize these opinions in the statement that 

 some varieties require much heavier pruning than others and that 

 the pruning should be done annually to avoid removing too much 

 wood from the tree at one time. 



Some reports recommend very light pruning of peach but a much 

 larger number prefer to cut back and remove about one-half of 

 each year's growth. 



In answer to the next question, we received a distinct surprise 

 when nearly every correspondent expressed himself as believing that 

 apples can be thinned profitably. This is certainly more than we 

 exj>ected from Pennsylvania apple growers. 



Only seven out of the whole iiumber of reporters expressed doubt 

 as to the importance of keeping bees in connection with fruit grow- 

 ing. A few experienced growers report having proven the practice 

 to be of great importance. 



ORCHARD VALUES. 



The question of the value of orchard trees over and above the 

 value of the land, is often raised. Most of our correspondents say 

 that an apple tree planted in a suitable place and growing at the 

 end of one year, is worth one dollar; that its value increases at the 

 rate of one dollar per year and that the increase continues up to 

 twenty years or more, depending on the variety. This value is 

 based on the ability of the tree to pay a good dividend on such an 

 amount and we believe it to be very conservative. Not a few growers 

 doubled these values in their reports. 



GOOD ROADS. 



Feeling that the fruit grower and market gardener is probably 

 more interested in the improvement of country roads than almost 

 any other citizen, we have asked questions along this line. 



The question of good roads seems to be a decidedly live issue 

 in all parts of the State. A large majority of our correspondents 

 favor the building of main roads entirely by the State. Many of 

 them are opposed to putting the State's money into one main road 

 or parkway from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, feeling that it should 

 be divided between the counties on the basis of present road mileage. 

 This is also the view of your chairman who is utterly opposed to 

 putting all the available road money into one road for the use of a 

 comparatively small class to the exclusion of road improvement in 

 the balance of the State. 



Throughout the reports runs a decided note of dissatisfaction 

 with the administering of the prosent road law. The feeling is 

 strong that the roads built by the State in the past few years have 

 cost far more than they should have done, running as high as 

 $22,000.00 per mile for one piece of road in Lancaster county. The 

 freedom with which ^'extras" are charged uj) raises a natural ques- 

 tion in the minds of interested person. Contract for a pi(^ce of 

 road 8,300 feet long in the chairman's own district was let at 

 .fl9,50O.00, which was about $3,000.00 above the estimate of the 

 Department; alterations and changes were made from time to time, 

 many of them apparentlv favoring the contractor and the price of 

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