314 State Horticultural Society. 



The season was exceedingly wet and it was very difficult for the 

 tenant to secure a good stand of corn. He even planted part of it 

 the third time. This late corn did not produce much, but the rains 

 of late summer caused it to be moderately productive. The trees did 

 not secure the cultivation that they should have had on account of 

 the wet weather and the impossibility of securing help at the right 

 time. However, on account of the rains they made very good growth. 

 When they were in full leaf all of the leaves over several acres were 

 stripped in a single night. Tliis devastation was apparently due to 

 the ravages of May beetles or some similar insect which came out of 

 the sod. This proved to be the first mistake in the work — planting 

 the trees in freshly turned sod. Later in the summer the leaves were 

 again stripped from some of the trees by caterpillars and it was only 

 the wet season that prevented their being permanently injured. It 

 was impossible to give the orchard personal supervision at all times 

 during the season, which accounts for the last named insect doing 

 the damage it did unmolested. 



The total cost of planting this land, including the price of team, 

 drayage, freight, wire, wrappers, labor, etc., amounted to $7.30 per 

 acre or 10 3-10 cents per tree. 



During the fall of 1904 another field was planted. This land was 

 located on the river bluffs in the best of the loess soil. The planting 

 was done on wheat stubble land that had been turned in late summer 

 and was in splendid condition for the work. The rows were laid off 

 with a chain made of wire, each link being 25 feet in length to cor- 

 respond with the width of the rows. By means of this chain it was an 

 easy matter to construct perfect right angles and hence it was not 

 difficult to lay out the rows perfectly straight in both directions, even 

 though the land was very uneven. A small stake about a foot in 

 lengtli was stuck into the ground where each tree was to be placed. 

 The holes were easily dug with shovels, these workmen being fol- 

 lowed by two men who did the planting. 



The following are some of the items of expense on an acre basis. 

 The two-year-old trees, including freight, drayage, etc., amounted to 

 $3.08; 18-inch wooden wrappers, 25 cents; No. 20 annealed wire, 

 fitting this wire in the wrappers, placing the wrappers on the trees 

 and properly setting them in the ground, $1.27; cost of planting the 

 trees, 85 cents ; making a total of $5.45 per acre. The difference in the 

 cost of planting in 1903 and 1904 is perhaps due to two causes: The 

 condition of the soil, that is, a stiff sod in one case and a thoroughly 

 pulverized soil in the second place ; and the price of the trees — trees 

 being much cheaper at the time of the last planting. 



