38 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



possible and to admit light and circulation of air to all parts of the 

 tree. 



A closing thought comes to my mind that he who plants and cares 

 for a 3^onng orchard looks forward with hope and faith in the future, 

 but if that hoi^e is to be realized the treatment of the young trees as 

 they approach the bearing stage should be in harmony with the best 

 principles of orchard management. We should guard against over pro- 

 duction by judicious ])runing and thinning and thus seek to establish 

 the habit of moderate annual bearing. This will conserve the energies 

 and prolong the life and usefulness of the trees, keep them and the owner 

 young and vigorous to a good old age. "You take good care of that 

 orchard and it will take care of you." 



DISCUSSION. 



President Farrand — Let us make use of Mr. Bristol and Mr. Ladd in 

 every way we possibly can. There is one question on the ])rogram which 

 might come up under this head, "Will it pay to dynamite orchard 

 ground?" That is a pretty good question. 



Mr. Ladd — I cannot answer that question because I have had no ex- 

 perience. I think there are cases where the soil is hard and impervious 

 that dynamiting might be all right — I do not think on my soil it Avould 

 be of any benefit. 



Mr. Dow — I have dug a good many holes around trees and put in some 

 surface soil and then took the sand that 1 took out and spread it on the 

 surface of the ground. Our soil is light and I never dug a hole deep 

 enough to find those roots — and this I think is a very good explanation 

 as to why they got no benefit from the manure and fertilizer on the 

 ground, — the roots are lying in the lower layers. Prof. Hedrick 

 stated that the only condition that they had before them that influenced 

 the result was the rainfall — that the water was the limiting condition 

 in that orchard. These experiments were most carefully conducted and 

 every source of error was perfectly guarded against. These questions 

 that apples will not grow on wet land but will groAV on sand hills are 

 pertinent— the Spy apple will grow on a hill where you cannot raise rye. 



A Member — I have never had any experience in using dynamite but 

 1 have had some experience in subsoiling where I have heavy clay sub- 

 soil. Where small fruits are raised, if the subsoiling is done in such a 

 way that there is no chance for the water to drain out of the lower 

 ground, it seems to have the same effect as drowning a plant. And if 

 a tree won't stand w^et feet, I would doubt the advisability of using 

 dynamite, but use holes where the soil is impervious to the water. 



President Farrand — The trees have suffered at the experiment station 

 in a dry time on wettest gi'ound because there was a white water sand 

 under some portion of the ground and the feeders were cut off just as 

 soon as they got to that water sand. That is not a favorable location 

 for orchard soil. But there are fine spots that one might want in a field 

 which might contain springy places — that I would drain — I would not 

 stop putting out an orchard in that location, but just drain it. 



Mr. Hutchins — I just wanted to inquire if this matter of using dyna- 

 mite in orchards does not apply more particularly to the old neglected 

 orchards? 



