PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING 199 



Mr. Morrill : Is imich attention paid to spraying of those things in your 

 section? 



3Ir. Kellogg: No; tliat is, not enough. 



Mr, Fitichl: In Berrien county we liad an immense crop of small fruit 

 this year, iiilly all that the people wished to handle at the prices they 

 could get. In regard to diseases, in some portions of the county peach 

 yellows has been on the increase a little, I think, but they have been 

 complying strictly with the law and I do not know^ of any case where 

 there has been any diiticulty. They realize from past experience what 

 it means to let those things go. and so they are taking care of them, I 

 think the conditions are favorable for another season. 



Mr. ]\Iason: I live in the northeast part of Ionia county, and so far as 

 my observation has extended there is a present prospect of a crop, and in 

 our vicinity the small fruits are in fair shape. We suffered by the drouth 

 some, but my strawberry lot is in as good shape as it usually is, and also 

 the raspberries; and the outlook for peaches is as good as it w^as a year 

 ago. So far as the apple is concerned, I do not know much about it, but of 

 course the peaches I took from my own observation. They are as full of 

 buds as they were a year ago. 



Mr. Brooke: So far as I have learned the apple crop in Gratiot county 

 was almost a failure. The fruits were generally under-size. I do not 

 know whether it was because of the large crop last year. I do not think 

 that would be a sufhcient reason, because I do not think that Northern 

 Spies last year bore an unusually large crop, but this year they seemed to 

 be under-size. Berries were a very good crop, but suffered some from 

 blight or fungous diseases; they fell off largely. In regard to plums, I have 

 seen a few orchards where the crop has been fairly good. The small fruit 

 was abundant; in fact, I never saw a crop that was its equal. Every 

 bush and every plant, no matter where it grew, had a crop of berries. 



PLOWING APPLE ORCHARDS. 



Mr. Smith: In regard to plowing orchards, if you had an orchard that 

 was in weirds, how would you go at it to change it? 



Mr. Kellogg: Now, there is a point that you should study. You should 

 begin to plow your orchard just so deep, and never put a plow half an 

 inch deeper. I do not think much of ]ilowing orchards, anyhow^ — that is, 

 I mean deep plowing. The roots of an orchard like to come near the light. 

 If we study the habits of the root and its requirements a little, I think 

 W'e shall stop plowing deeply in orchards. I believe the roots of a good 

 many orchards go down too deep — the roots are sent down so deep that 

 they do not get the sun's rays. The whole question of plowing has under- 

 gone a change — that is, I have undergone a change, the plowing has not. 

 I used to think it necessary to plow' twelve inches deep, and then I would 

 subsoil just as much deeper as I could; and I would subsoil under certain 

 conditions now. I once subsoiled about eighteen inches deep and plowed 

 twelve inches — that made thirty. But I am inclined to think that was a 

 foolish thing to do, even if you could do it. The greatest sight I ever saw- 

 was Mr. Morrill's orchard. Mr. Fifield took me in a carriage and drove 

 over to his orchard. He uses a Breed weeder. Do vou ever plow that at 

 all? 



