FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 75 



his waist. Just befoie w(> oot out we had a little shower, aud here was 

 a time, I thought, to show this man that robbing- an orchard was a good 

 thing, aud so I took him just as far through this piece of w^et peas as I 

 could get him to go. He had nothing further to say on the matter of soil 

 robbing. 



And to the young men who are contemplating ])lanting an orchard, 

 T want to say, you need not be afraid to jilant good land to an orchard. 

 I am speaking of the conditions we have jiassed through — I say no young 

 man need be afraid to plant out an orchard on his best land. I gave 

 a chattel mortgage on mine, but before the orchard came Into bearing 

 I had it all paid off. 



As to the treatment of this orchard would say that we plow it once 

 a year, as early in the spring as the land is in condition to work. We 

 sow it to Canada field peas. In later years we have used the disc head 

 on the ploAv, going twice over with the disc and sowing on peas. When 

 the peas get ripe, we turn in the hogs, all we have. Now, if anyone has 

 had any diflSculty with hogs injuring the orchard it is because of the 

 orchard or too manv hogs. Five hogs to the acre. Last year we put 

 in 11,000 worth of corn and we sold off f 1,900 worth of "^ pork. This 

 should be credited to the orchard. 



This orchard came into bearing at fourteen years. It has now borne 

 six annual crops, but they are getting larger every year. The trees are 

 still young and have not got to their prime. They have several years be- 

 fore them to get up to where they are complete in their bearing. Last year 

 our No. I's sold on the Chicago market at |10..50 per barrel. When you 

 get the right kind of fruit and pack it as it should be, you need not fear 

 western competition. I thank you. 



REPORT OF CO^LMITTEE ON SFEAKING CONTEST. 



l!Y THE CHAIRMAN, MR. ROWE, 



Mr. President — The committee desires to say before announcing the 

 awards for the addresses given by the senior class of the M. A. C, we 

 lliink it is only justice to them to say that we consider them the best 

 that has ever been heard Ijefore the State Horticultural Society from this 

 class of students, and we question whether twelve men could be picked 

 from the State Horticultural Society to present these topics any clearer 

 or more concise in the same length of time. 



The first prize we award to Mr. Schleussner, the gentleman who spoke 

 on the San Jose scale, and the second prize to Mr. McDermid on "BrowTi 

 Rot/' and the third prize to Mr. L. B. Gardner, on the Codling Moth. 



Aicards. 



Cup — C. J. Monroe. South Haven. 

 Gould Special — Wm. Uarter, Custer. 



1. C. E. Campbell, Kalamazoo. 



2. S. B. Hartman, Athens. 



