106 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of styles and types that it is almost bewildering to the farmer. Nearly 

 every one of these types has its special uses, for which it is superior to 

 all others. The skillful farmer must keep on hand the more important 

 types ada])ted to his soil, and use good judgment in sending them out 

 to the field. There is a great variation in the amount of culture which 

 is deemed suflflcient in the orchards of different sections of the country. 

 However, as a general rule, if the harrowings are done at the right time, 

 as soon as the land comes into condition after each rain, are about all 

 that is necessary for complete success in growing fruit trees, usually, 

 however, to secure maximum results, peach orchards need to be harrowed 

 or cultivated about once a week from blossoming time until mid summer. 



The skillful fruit grower watches his trees and plants almost daily, 

 in fact, he treasures up his experience of year after year and knows 

 exactly when he anticipates attacks of many of the worst diseases and 

 insect pests, and regularly prepares for them in advance. Spraying 

 with lime-sulj)hur is now becoming very common with successful fruit 

 growers. This is the best all round fungicide and arsenate of lead the 

 best insecticide. The details of this spraying cannot be attempted here, 

 but suffice it to say that the fruit grower must have a knowledge of all 

 his suspected enemies and know hoAv to meet them. 



No one operation stands out more prominently as the work of inten- 

 sive horticulture than pruning. To secure maximum results in fruit 

 growing the trees should be pruned skillfully. The young trees must be 

 trained into the form desired, the older trees must be kept in control by 

 pruning. The annual growth of the trees should be headed back to some 

 definite length. However, the general vigor and future possibilities have 

 to be kept in mind. This heading-back process will result in the pushing 

 out of a great many twigs, making the top too thick in future years. 

 This objection is to be met by annually thinning out first the one year 

 twigs, and then later, perhaps with the saw, those of the larger branches, 

 which have not room to develop. A tree so laden with fruit that its 

 branches are drooping to the ground may be an attractive sight, but 

 this is not good horticulture. Partly through pruning and more es- 

 pecially by thinning the fruit, the tree should never be allowed to over- 

 load itself so that it breaks down under the weight of the fruit or even 

 peiTuanently bends its main branches very far from their normal posi- 

 tion. Thinning is one of the necessary operations of any high-class 

 fruit culture. It has been demonstrated both by careful experimenting 

 and by practical experience to be a profitable process. 



Having grown the fruit the next and most important part is the pick- 

 ing and marketing. When fine fruit has been growm up to the picking 

 season the battle has been half won but it has been only half won. The 

 business side of fruit growing then begins. Markets have to be looked 

 up, perhaps in several different parts of the country and the telegraph 

 and the telephone must frequently be used as the fruit attains maturity. 

 The packages, crates, baskets or barrels have to be purchased and made 

 ready for the reception of the fruit. Everything which can be done 

 should be done to lighten the task on the picking days and to distribute 

 the labor. This is especially true in handling perishable fruits, such as 

 peaches, plums, early pears and small fruits. Many sorts of fruits re- 

 quire picking on a certain day. With peaches they may be green one 

 day, matured, fully colored and ready to ship on the next, and i)0ssibly 



