*^oO STATE rO.AlOI.OGICAL SOCIETY. 



taken up in tlic full and placed in the large cellav where the nursery firm of 

 Mr. Ilirenfrit/ place all the trees which they intend to sell the next spring. 

 They were all of one variety, the Antutnn Strawberry. In the spring the trees 

 were taken to the oreiiard, and heeled yi, the 15th of ilay. They had been 

 Avell taken up. and not exposed, except for a few moments. The trees were 

 taken, a few at a time and set about as deep as before in freshly made holes. 

 Fine soil was placed about the roots by hand. Tlie roots wcr(3 not puddled, nor 

 the trees staked. The soil Avas well packed about the roots. I'art of the land 

 had iireviously been a poor clover sod, and a part had been in corn, and another 

 part in oats. Last year, in August, he placed four buds in each tree. He 

 budded 500 to Hcd Canada, 300 to Island Greening, 200 to Baldwin. Some of 

 the limbs — last vear — the vear thev were set, grew thirtv inches. About ten 

 trees lost the buds, which were set in the tops. The trees are growing finely 

 this year. The orchard was in corn. The cultivation stopped tlic last of July. 

 This has allowed the weeds to grow, but the best orchard ists of Michigan have 

 all learned that there is nothing more desirable in an orchard in autumn than 

 a good crop of weeds or some other vegetation. In autumn he wound the 

 trunks of trees up to the limbs with coarse paper, and outside of this another 

 layer of tarred paper. A mound of earth was placed about each tree. 

 Through accident or design he neglected to protect one tree, which was gnawed 

 from the ground to the limbs by rabbits, and perhaps also Ijy mice. The cost 

 of putting on the papers was about ten dollars for 1,000 trees, or a cent 

 apiece. Except tliis one tree all were alive and thrifty at the time of our visit. 

 There is no secret about all this. It is sim})ly good management — the thorough 

 work of a thoughtful man who understands the business. At the same time, 

 the same man set 500 pear trees, 500 quinces, and some hundreds of trees of 

 plums and peaches and cherries. Not a pear tree was lost, and l)ut very few of 

 either of the other fruits. 



On the west side, next to the orchard is a native forest, and at the south, lu 

 few rods distant, is also a forest. He has also planted screens of Norway spruce- 

 between the pears and apples, and to the north of the apple trees. The screen 

 he intends to keep at tlie height of eight feet. The committee doubt very 

 much whether tlio forests on the west and south "will not cause more harm tiian 

 good to his orchard. The low, thick screens of Norways we think would be- 

 better if they grew taller and were scattered, or tiie rows somewhat broken. In 

 this way the force of the wind would be checked, hut not cut olf entirely. 



THE APPLE OUCII.VKI) OF S. AV. DORR, 



Manchester, consists of about two acres. The trees were set 25x33 feet in the 

 year 18G3, — fourteen years ago. There are 72 Baldwins and 54 Spies. In 18GG 

 those here named Baldwins were top-grafts with Spies. The same year he lost 

 $300.00 by not leaving the S})ies ungrafted. The Sjiies have borne three crops, 

 the last one, in 1S7G, was very large. The owner tliinks the orchard is on the 

 highest land in Washtenaw county. Wells in that place are a hundred feet or 

 more in depth. Baldwins winter kill some in the neighborhood. 



THE APPLE ORCHARD OF CHARLES CAIN, 



Heading, Hillsdale county, contains lOG trees, which were set fourteen years 

 ago. They were planted in scjuarcs 28x28 feet, — too near for such varieties in 

 such soil. The soil was sandy loam, dark colored pretty well down, even down 



