Appendix. IGl 



is to find the mulch. In parts of Ohio and West Virginia fruit growers 

 in the hill lands are buying straw from the farmers who live on the 

 level bottom. In my own case I have used weeds, grass, rotten sawdust, 

 brush and anything that will finally rot, with the aid of lime around the 

 trees. It may be asked why go to this rough land for fruit growing, 

 when our best results thus far have been obtained on the more level 

 rich land. In my judgment these rough hills are to produce the fruit 

 for future millions. When this mulch method is more generally under- 

 stood these rough hills can be, and will be, utilized as a business propo- 

 sition. Thus far it has been impossible to apply to these hills the 

 methods which have made fruit growing a large business. We shall 

 learn in the near future that we must adapt our culture to the condi- 

 tions of the land. Many of our present successful orchards are on rich 

 level land that would pay better in other crops. I also believe that in 

 the course of time insects and fungus diseases will accumulate so on 

 these level lands that the business will be far more expensive and 

 hazardous. To clean new lands on the hills are cheap, because tlieir 

 possibilities in fruit productions have never been demonstrated. Vith 

 this new system properly worked out, the hill lands are destined to revo- 

 lutionize fruit growing. .This will become very evident within a few 

 years, when the beautiful fruit comes rolling down the hill out of Ihe 

 young orchards that are now being started. Above all else let us con- 

 tradict the impression that this mulch system of raising fruit is of 

 necessity a lazy man's method. The lazy man has no opportunity in 

 agriculture or fruit growing. This mulch method is within the reach of 

 a man with moderate means, or a man who, from one reason or another, 

 cannot do the hardest physical labor. It is also within the reach , for 

 example, of a woman left with no property save a rough farm. With 

 her children, willing to work, and a fair amount of capital with which 

 to buy trees and a spraying outfit and similar tools, such a woman can, 

 by carefully following this method, develop an excellent orchard; not of 

 large overgrown trees, but of stocky low-down fellows within the reach 

 of the nozzle, and capable of producing first-class fruit. In fact, I 

 think this mulch method on rough land will be one of the ways in which 

 the small family or the man with moderate means will be able to keep 

 up with the big fellows, who, unconsciously, are crowding the little 

 fellows out of the race. 



MULCH TALK FROM J. H. HALE. 



As is well known, Mr. Hale believes in the most thorough and per- 

 sistent cultivation of orchards. After reading the above paper, he says: 



I think it is the most sensible presentation to the case that you or 



anyone else ever made, and you get right down to facts when you say 



it is a small haystack that is required around each tree to do the trick 



satisfactorily. Now the trouble on most uphill, rocky farms is goi-ig 



HOR.— 11 



