WINTER MEETING AT CAEIHAGE. 1(53 



PLANTING. 



The most important matter in putting out an orchard is in the selection of the 

 land. It should be a well drained, open subsoil where Avaterwill not stand. If you 

 haven't land of this kind, do not plant a commercial orchard ; ijetter pay $100 an 

 acre for it than to have a rich, tight subsoil given you ; it w ill grow trees, but no 

 fruit. After selecting the land, plow deep, pulverize well, then mark off the rows 

 with plows two rods apart ; then across with a lister, so as to throw the dirt each 

 way, deep as you can ; plant trees in cross. If in a very exposed situation, plant 

 some early-bearing variety, liiie the Missouri Pippin, between the trees each way 

 to help protect from the wind, and when ten or twelve years old cut them out. 

 They will have paid for themselves by that time twice over in fruit. In planting, 

 open out your furrows wide enough to receive the roots freely without cramping; 

 fill a little above what they were in the nursery, and tramp the dirt firmly around 

 the tree. J. B. Ddraxd. Prairie City. 



WHAT INJURED THE APPLE TREES IN THE SPRING OF 1892. 



Many theories have been advanced as to why the apple crop was a failure, 

 and as to why the trees suffered so severely in retarded growth early in the season. 

 Permit me to say I think the matter is easily explained. 



During the fall, nutrition sufficient is stored in the trunk and branches to form 

 the bloom and fruit and bring the trees into full leaf. This is easily proved by 

 cutting a branch and putting into M^ater, or where it will be kept moist. It is not 

 till the leaf is fully developed that it (the tree) begins to draw nutrition from 

 the soil. 



Air, heat and moisture are essential in the preparation of plant food. An 

 excess of either is detrimental to the plant, and in this case supplanted, in a meas- 

 ure, the other. The excessive rains so filled the soil with water, and kept it filled, 

 that there was a deficiency of air, or oxygen, to assist in rendering soluble plant 

 food, and such an excess of water that the tree was on the verge of starvation. It 

 could get no nourishment from the soil. The only crops of apples I have seen this 

 year were on gravelly bottoms that are naturally underedraind. The tree not receiv- 

 ing support, shed its fruit. 



The destruction of foliage was in part due to this and to a long-continued and 

 severe wind-storm and a low temperature, rendering the leaf stems more brittle. 

 If the tree was of considerable size, the side next the wind suffered much more 

 than the opposite side, while I observed trees that were protected by buildings 

 from the force of the wind did not suffer from this cause. 



J. L. Erwin, Fulton, Mo. 



EXPERIENCE OF G. G. JAMES AT EXETER, BARRY COUNTY, MO. 



January, 1884, I bought 12 acres of brush-land on a high point of the Ozark 

 mountains. I had a house built, and was at home in February. Clearing was 

 commenced at once, and five acres were cleared and fenced with brush ; plowing 

 and hauling manure were kept up till April. I set four acres to apples, with a few 

 pears and plums, 30 feet each way; one acre to peach, cherry, berries and vegeta- 

 ble garden; corn, potatoes, beans, etc., were planted between the rows of trees. 



The second year's work was about the same as the first. The third year five 

 acres more were cleared and fenced with brush, four acres set to apples, one acre 

 to berries of all kinds— planting corn, potatoes, beans and vegetables among the 



