SUMMER MEETING. 17 



President — Mr. Hazeltine, let me ask you a question. If you were 

 planting another 80 acre tract of Ben Davis apples, what would you do to 

 the trees when you planted them ? 



Answer — Prune them thoroughly. 



Question — What next ? 



Answer — I would cultivate it. 



Question — How, as to forming a head ? 



Answer — I should allow all the branches to grow from IJ to 2 feet 

 from the ground. Then when the trees were 5 or 6 years old, I would 

 cut away the lower branches. 



Mr. Gilkeson— I have an orchard of 30 acres that was set 20 years 

 ago when the craze was on for low-heads. It was headed very low, 

 15 or 18 to 24 inches. I cultivated the orchard and took care of it 

 until I got 6 or 7 crops. Then the limbs began to spread out so I had 

 no room to cultivate. I tried it 2 or 3 years without cultivating and 

 the fruit on the cultivated ground I saw was getting better. The 

 apples were large and merchantable. I set 30 acres more of Ben Davis 

 in the same way. 



Mr. Warren — 1 have 20 acres of orchard but do not cultivate it. 

 I let the hogs run in it. The apple trees are planted 30 feet apart, and 

 have it planted in clover. I do not think it a disadvantage to have 

 the orchard sowed in clover. I keep from 20 to 100 head of hogs in it. 



Dr. Lane — I have had something to do with orchards for the last 

 9 years. I knew nothing of horticulture. I have wished many times 

 since that I had known something about it. I have an orchard of 140 

 acres, and have 3060 Ben Davis trees. When I began the enterpiise, 

 I was lost to know what kind to select. I was advised by some to 

 head my trees high and by others low. I had the lower branches 

 pruned off. The orchards of to day, I think, are headed low. 



Mr. Smith — We have got to head trees low so that the bodies will 

 be protected from the sun. T think there is less chance for borers if 

 the body of the tree is protected from the hot sun. 



Mr. Goodman — Low heads, a good center stem, branches at right 

 angles, good cultivation and little pruning is the key to success. 



Mr. Kirchgraber — This low-head business may suit Howell county, 

 but I know an orchard west of Springtield and I do not think there is a 

 tree there headed less than 5 feet. Tt belongs to a man named Powell. 

 I have also seen limbs of the Ben Davis tree dragging on the ground. 



Mr. Goodman — They never had care then. 



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