344 State H orticuUural Society. 



drying the soil. It has been shown by experiment that soil left undistur- 

 bed in the spring lost in a single week the equivalent of a good soaking 

 rain more than cultivated soil alongside. The loss of 1,500 barrels of 

 water per acre in a single week is an incident not to be counted upon in 

 successful orchard culture, when so simple a remedy as harrowing is at 

 hand. Less than a half a day's work of man and team will prevent much 

 of the loss, but if the same man were set to work hauling water he could 

 not put it on, in a drying time, as fast as the sun and wind would take it 

 off. For practical irrigation a harrow beats a sprinkling cart ten to one. 

 One other lesson the orchardist, as well as the gardener and farmer, needs 

 to learn, and that is that a mere sprinkle of rain, and even a heavy dew, 

 may dry the soil." — From j^ational Stockman and Farmer. 



WILL AX APPLE OKCHAED PAY? 



Editor ''Eural world:" AVe hnd this question asked by Mr. A. J. 

 Kinnard, of Carroll Co., Mo., in the ''Rural World" of March 9. I 

 wish to say that the question maybe fairly answered both in the affirmative 

 and in the negative. My observation has proven to me that some orch- 

 ards pay well, extra well, better than anything else on the farm, while 

 others do not pay, and the money spent for the trees- and time spent on 

 them is just so much money and labor thrown away. 



Whether an orchard will pay or not depends upon the intelligence 

 of the planter.' In order to make certain that it will pay, one must be 

 intelligent enough to select a suitable location, as to soil and distance from 

 railroad; to prepare the land before planting, to plant varieties that can 

 be depended on for a commercial orchard, to know where to buy from a 

 reliable firm at a fair price, to plant properly, and to cultivate and care 

 for the trees in a careful business like manner. If one who contemplates 

 planting an orchard wants to make sure that it will pay well, and doe? 

 not possess this information, ho had better make the getting of it his first 

 move. He may do so in part by carefully reading sneli papers as the 

 "Rural World" and others devoted to this interest, joining our Horticul- 

 tural Society and attending its meetings. Or, still bettoi'. if lie can do it, 

 take the short course in horticulture at Colunil)ia. wliicli is offered to all 



