454 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



be applied, in order that she may vie with all other well pruned trees in 

 choicest fruit. But let us not lose sight of the main rule, " Prune for 

 fruit. " Am sorry to say that some orchardists get a great way from the 

 mark. They adopt the high plan ; having this in view, they work for a six 

 or seven feet trunk, and then apply the same principle to the main branches, 

 that are often made bare of fruit buds, longer than the trunk itself, leaving 

 a few side branches at the extremities of the limbs. 



Then the trimmer gets down, steps back a little way, pulls off his hat, 

 takes a look at what is left, and flatters himself that he has done a wonder- 

 ful thing! I feel like exclaiming, glorious trimmer he; fruit buds nearly 

 all trimmed off, commercial value of the tree ruined, he and his family suf- 

 fering for the necessaries of life, consumers complaining that fruit is so 

 scarce and dear. 



I have often wished that such a tree, after it has been spoiled of its useful- 

 ness and beauty, had the power to retaliate on the trimmer. 



HOGS AND THE ORCHARD. 



There seems to be a sort of mutual relationship existing between the two- 

 While hogs are a good thing for the orchard, the orchard is a good thing 

 for them. 



I plan to keep from fifty to sixty in the orchard from May until Decem- 

 ber. They assist largely in fertilizing the soil, destroying insects, beetles, 

 and especially the codling moth, in the larva state, by eating the premature 

 fruit as it drops from the trees, thereby doing away, to a great extent, the 

 necessity of spraying the orchard. As their food supply increases they 

 assume to be masters of the situation — are in favor of protection to home 

 products, and are opposed to cider mills. As the season advances they 

 greatly improve in appearance, if not in manners, wear jewelry in their 

 noses, grow sleek and fat, and sleep in the shade. 



GATHERING THE FRUIT. 



One reason why the orchard and fruit fails to be remunerative is that the 

 husbandman does not husband — fails to properly care for, neglects to gather 

 the fruit at the proper time and put the same on the market when fresh and 

 inviting; does not utilize it in a way to make it profitable. It is not so with 

 the hay or oat crop, though it be ever so poor. Choice fruit is often worth 

 more than the hay and oats put together. Would it not be a better way to 

 care for them all with a wiser economy in view? 



Never fail to have your barrels in readiness, with hoops well driven, before 

 packing time. When ready, knock out one head from each barrel. Deliver 

 the barrels in the orchard where needed. When filled they are placed on a 

 stone boat, drawn to the barn or packing rooms, and remain there until 

 packing season, where they are out of the storms. 



Find live pickers that can pick not less than twenty barrels per day, and 

 pay them well for it. Two men picked most of my crop the fall of 1887, 

 averaging more than that number. Two men and a boy picked my winter 

 fruit the fall of 1888, in all 1,149 barrels as they came from the orchard. 

 One of the men picked 600 barrels, 477 of them in 18 days, an average per 



