48 State Horticultural Society. 



TREATMENT OF THE ORCHARD AFTER IT COMES INTO 



BEARING. 



(S. y. Thornton, Blackwater, Mo. 



Mr. Chairman, Brother Fruit Growers, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



The subject assigned me is one that I am very much interested in at 

 the present time, and, although I may not advance any ideas that will 

 be of interest to many of our experienced orchardists, I hope it will 

 induce discussion that will be of interest and benefit to many of us. 



I have 80 acres of apple trees that were planted in 1891, '92 and 

 '93. I made the very common mistake of planting too close together. 

 I planted them 25 feet apart each way and I think they should be 30 

 feet one way, at least here in Central Missouri on Missouri river hill 

 land. I have never had a full crop of apples on all of my trees and 

 probably never will have them all bear at the same time. But I have 

 had a fairly good crop each year since 1898 until this year. Last 

 spring I had the finest prospect for a full crop that I ever had when 

 the trees were in bloom and they set a big crop. But alas, instead of 

 a fine crop of apples, I had the biggest crop of disappointment of my 

 life as far as apple crop is concerned. We have plenty of apples for 

 family use and some to give our neighbors for making mince meat for 

 Christmas pies, but nothing to pay expenses with from that source. 



After my trees were eight years old I seeded the land down with 

 clover. I pasture my orchard with hogs till they commence eating the ap- 

 ples ofif the trees. I aiii of the opinion that hogs are an advantage to an 

 orchard after the trees get large enough so they will not bend them 

 over by rubbing against them. The hogs are benefited by the clover, 

 they destroy many insects on the ground and under the surface. My 

 trees are headed low, so as soon as the hogs begin eating apples off the 

 trees I take them out till after the apples are picked, then I put them 

 in again and they eat the wormy fruit all the fall and winter and of 

 course eat many worms. I do not prune very much after trees get to 

 bearing, having attended to that closely each year when the trees were 

 small. I only cut ofif water sprouts and broken limbs. I prefer prun- 

 ing after the sap begins to rise, as the cut heals over more readily and 

 there are not near as many water sprouts forced out as if pruned in 

 winter or early spring. I usually finish pruning about the time blooms 

 come out. 



I spray once just before blooms open and again soon after they drop, 

 and two or three times afterwards at intervals of about two weeks. 



