VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 89 



The number of trees for a farmer to set for a commer- 

 cial orchard depends entirely on his circumstances or surround- 

 ings. A small orchard well cared for will be remunerative, while 

 a larger orchard can be worked with about the same machinery 

 and convenience of a smaller one. 



Cultivation in an orchard is of the same importance as in 

 any hoed crop and should be worked under the same general 

 principles. Orchards that are so rough and uneven that they 

 can't be profitably cultivated, should be treated by mulching 

 and pasturing in as judicious a manner as the intelligence of 

 the farmer can prescribe. Pruning commences when the 

 orchard is set and continues year by year until the very last 

 which is generally done with an axe, and the last pruning is 

 never done by the man who sets the orchard, as the orchard 

 will out-live the lives perhaps of several men. 



Thus we should bear in mind that when we set a commer- 

 cial orchard it is not simply a matter of to-day, but that it 

 should be more valuable in the last half century of its exist- 

 ance than the first. 



The fertility of the orchard is a very important item, for 

 the product of the orchard, like the dairy, depends very largely 

 upon what and how we feed it. The experiment station and 

 horticultural professors should be appealed to often on this 

 line. 



Spraying has come to be one of the necessities of success- 

 ful orcharding and should be very thoroughly understood and 

 rigidly practiced as much time and money has been spent in 

 unsuccessful work along this line. The whole matter is very 

 simple when well understood. Paris green for insects and 

 worms that eat the bud or leaf, kerosene emulsion for aphies 

 and insects that suck the juice, and Bordeaux mixture for fun- 

 gus growths, and a good spraying apparatus and we have the 

 whole matter well in hand. 



Harvesting and marketing are matters that seem of but 

 slight importance, but often count up terribly in the cost of pro- 

 duction, and if looked after with neatness, pride and care will 

 count up wonderfully on the 'credit side when the fruit gets to 

 market. It is a well established fact that no good fruit man can 

 go to market with a clean conscience and a dirt}' package. 

 Every orchardist should become known to and well acquainted 

 with some good, up-to-date fruit house, and stick to them until 

 his brand of fruit is known and sought after by the customers of 

 this especial house, and not be changing it around from one 

 house to another and never known by any. 



