14 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sprouts. The successful orchardist looks to the welfare of his trees 

 the same as the successful stock-breeder does to his stock. He must 

 take a personal interest in his trees. He should see that their every 

 want is promptly supplied. A tree in full bearing should make an 

 annual growth of from twelve to eighteen inches of new wood. If 

 much less, the orchard needs feeding in the shape of manure, or cow 

 peas or clover turned under. Give good cultivation and your labor 

 will be rewarded with bountiful crops. Another very important point 

 in orcharding is the distance apart the trees should be planted. 

 Opinions difler greatly on this. Some orchardists claim twenty-four 

 feet the proper distance. While this may do for some of the upright 

 growing kinds, thirty-three feet is not too close for such as Ben Davis, 

 Huntsman and Willow Twig. One of our most successful orchardists 

 near Springfield would plant forty feet apart had he to plant his orchard 

 over again. Too many of our orchards are planted too close under the 

 mistaken idea that close planted trees protect each other better, while 

 doubtless the harm is much greater than the benefit. Trees need air 

 and sunshine to bring them and the fruits thereof to perfection. In 

 close-planted orchards the soil becomes exhausted. Too much shade 

 and no sunlight means ruin ; the soil becomes moss-covered and the 

 trees become unproftable, and in many instances worthless. In con- 

 clusion, I would again say, trees properly planted, pruned while young, 

 thoroughly cultivated, fed and cared for, and after they come into bear- 

 ing, sprayed to prevent scab and to destroy the worms, success is sure 

 to follow, and an orchard so treated is a beauty. The owner of such 

 can feel, and does feel proud, and makes money ; but it requires work, 

 and often hard work, too, to accomplish that. Now, in regard to the 

 peach; low-headed trees are all right, as the peach is a short-lived tree 

 at best and bears pruning better than most any other fruit tree. The 

 pear for orcharding is rather a hazardous undertaking on account of 

 the destructive blight, for which there seems to be no prevention or 

 cure. Out of over seven hundred pear trees planted by me some 

 twenty-nine years ago, not more than twenty-five are alive today — rather 

 discouraging for that delicious fruit, the pear. Now, if in the forego- 

 ing few observations any discussion can be drawn out so as to benefit 

 or instruct the would-be orchardist, I may have accomplished a little. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Chapin — One very important point is that we want to make 

 orchards that will be a benefit to the country instead of a detriment 

 to it. The question is asked, "Is it possible for us to so handle our 



