ANNUAL WINTER MEETING AT WARRENSBURG. 173 



REPORT ON ORCHARDS. 



BY F. LIONBERGER, NEW FLORENCE. 



CONDITION OF ORCHARDS. 



Some of the orchards in this county* are in very fine condition^ 

 though many of the trees were greatly injured last winter. There 

 are a great many young orchards coming on that look very fine and 

 promising, altogether according to the treatment they receive. Peach 

 trees are in very bad condition ; the old trees are so badly injured that 

 they will be of little use, and but few young trees are planted. The 

 prospect is that when we have a good season again for this noble 

 fruit that there will be no trees left to bear. 



I, however, have no reason to complain about the condition of my 

 peach trees, but 1 gave them a very severe pruning last spring as well 

 as the spring before. Cherry trees are also in bad condition, with the ex- 

 ception of a few of the Morello varieties. The greatest trouble about or- 

 chards in my opinion, seems to be that a great many plant their trees too 

 close together, and that knowledge of horticulture is badly needed by a 

 good many, at least more than a good many possess. How such men 

 can be reached with practical information is a matter of great impor- 

 tance. It is not an uncommon practice with many to set out a lot of 

 trees and then to sow small grain among them, and thus stunt them 

 at the start, of which the borers are always ready to take advantage. 



' We ought to have more local societies, and I think it would be a 

 good thing if some of tlie local papers would give a column for horticul- 

 ture, which the most of them would do if our experienced fruit growers 

 would assist the editors. In this way a great many could be reached 

 with practical information that otherwise could not be. Good varieties 

 of fruits could be recommended and some of the humbugs could be 

 shown up. A great deal of good could certainly be done in such a 

 way. 



Again, we should see that every copy of our valuable reports be 

 given to men who would read them. 



Arrangements should be made to bring our standard books on hor- 

 ticulture before the public as much as possible. It would help a great 



