92 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



easily be maintaiued by manuring and application of other stimulants. He 

 was not in favor of plowing and thus breaking up the surface roots of the 

 trees. His best bearing trees were those whose surface roots had not been dis- 

 turbed in thirty years. Top dressing might be beneficial. 



Mr. Eeynolds wished to hear from men who had tried various experiments 

 in their endeavor to maintain fertility. 



Mr. Green of Rush said he had a youug orchard approaching bearing age, 

 and wished to learn some facts in regard to the use of sown corn, clover, etc. 



Mr. Moody of Niagara advocated plowing, guarding against the breaking of 

 tender roots. One great thing to be done in order to save our orchards was to 

 destroy the fungi which attacked them. He had planted a 100-aere orchard, 

 and was not intending to put upon it any stable manure. He thought the soil 

 strong enough to sustain ithe strain without any help save from minerals. He 

 looked for the greatest results from the use of salt and lime as fertilizers. 



Mr. Root of Skaneateles found no difficulty in keeping up growth by plow- 

 ing if you took off but one crop. Plow a few years until the trees come in 

 bearing, and then seed down. Afterwards spade around the trunks and apply 

 ashes, also washing with soft soap. If soil is stirred, it will increase in fertility 

 if no crop is taken off. 



Mr. Allis of Holley, recommended plowing. He thought the best plan was 

 to sow buckwheat and then keep fowls to run in the orchard and eat the buck- 

 wheat and destroy the insects. He had noticed wherever he was that orchards 

 bore the best apples where fowls were allowed to run at will in them. 



Mr. Langworthy wished to inquire if any one present had tried girdling in 

 June. He had seen the best results from this method. He thought it was the 

 most beneficial in stimulating bearing. 



Mr. Root had good results from this practice. 



Mr. Smith of Syracuse wished to hear the man who had displayed such 

 elegant fruit before the association. Therefore Mr. Avery of Michigan said that 

 he came from a county which eight years ago was entirely occupied by maple 

 growth. The land was quite new. They were not obliged to resort to plow- 

 ing. About the middle of July they sow buckwheat, and when apples are 

 ripe, walk into the orchard and pick them, paying no attention to the buck- 

 wheat, but just before winter plow it i^, and it comes up the next season. 



Mr. Barry said a large orchard must be treated exactly as a small one was. 

 Every man knew that after a few years' bearing an orchard required feeding, 

 and some source of strength must be discovered. He recommended the grow- 

 ing of root crops to feed cattle and use the manure for orchards. Many nur- 

 sery men did this and found it profitable. In their own nursery they kept the 

 ground constantly plowed, and gave an occasional top-dressing. But they 

 found nothing so effective as stable manure. Apple orchards would not need 

 so frequent dressings of manure as pear. He strongly recommended the use of 

 salt, lime, ashes, manure, and various composts, etc., applied alternately. 



Dr. Sylvester of Lyons planted his orchard twenty-eight years ago, and from 

 less than ten acres had 1,000 barrels this year. He does not keep stirring the 

 surface, because he believes it wastes the fertility. Does not believe in using 

 large quantities of stable manure in pear orchards, for it would cause blight- 

 It his trees make three inches of wood yearly, he is satisfied. 



Mr. Chapin plows his trees and gets wood, but no fruit. Wh'at he is after is 

 fruit, not wood. He manures with a mixture of muck and barn-yard manure. 

 Another year will put on a light dressing of gas-lime, spread thinly over the 



