Miscellaneous. 169 



fruit, although one or two crops of corn are, as stated above, taken 

 from the land before it is allowed to sod over. Many orchards are 

 grown up to prairie and other wild grasses and are showing the ef- 

 fects. While the orchards that have been occasionally plowed are 

 making an excellent growth and are bearing large crops of fine 

 fruit, in those that have not bsen so treated the growth of the 

 trees and the number and size of the apples seems to be almost in 

 proportion to the care they have received, although, of course, the 

 condition of the soil has much to do with it. 



PENALTY OF NEGLECT. 



Many of the trees have been taken out and others are dying, 

 while very little, if any, fruit is being produced by the neglected or- 

 chards. Hundreds of trees were noted that had yellow foliage, while 

 others had shed most of their leaves. In some cases this was due 

 to unfavorable natural conditions, but in most instances it could 

 only be ascribed to neglect. It seemed to be the general opinion of 

 the better growers that the unsatisfactory conditions of many 

 of the orchards was due to the fact that the owners had expected 

 to get fruit without giving the trees any care, and the general ad- 

 vice was to put out small orchards, or at least no larger than can 

 be cared for, and then see that they have proper attention. 



BEAR AT EARLY AGE. 



The orchards in the Ozarks develop very rapidly, beginning 

 to bear when four years old, and, as might be expected, are not 

 long lived under the care that most of the trees are receiving. There 

 are very few large orchards more than 15 or 20 years old, and when 

 they have been cared for the trees appear to be in their prime, but 

 it was not uncommon to note trees that had been growing without 

 care for 30 or more years that seemed to be practically dead. In 

 this section it is almost universal to start the heads about two 

 feet from the ground and to keep them rather thick, so as to shade 

 the trunk and branches. When the tops are thin, or the trunks 

 are so long as to expose the bark to the sun, injury was noted in 

 many cases. 



When apples were first planted in the Ozarks there was very 

 little trouble from insects, but the codling moth, in particular, is 

 now getting in its work, and in many orchards fully one-half of the 

 fruit will be unmarketable on this account. Very few of the or- 

 chards have been sprayed, but it was a pleasure to note the con- 



