104 Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



and less each year, fruit abundant but under size. This year's crop 

 the poorest of all. I am satisfied I have lost forty per cent, by the 

 clover and non-cultivation process. I now have it fall plowed and 

 intend to work it thoroughly, giving it some lime and ashes. In 

 cultivating, I find small mules the best team, and use the short top 

 hame ; a short double and single tree, made for the purpose, and a 

 device at the end of the plow beam that can be set so as to throw 

 the double-tree as far as it will bear from the tree row in finishing 

 up. In this way I get quite close without injury to the trees. 



I once knew a friend to seed his fine young orchard in grass. 

 This soon checked the growth and induced fruitfulness ; but in a 

 few years he found his fruit so small and inferior that he concluded 

 to plow and cultivate. The next year he was rewarded with alarge 

 crop of fine fruit. Not being satisfied to let w^ell enough alone, 

 he covered his orchard three inches deep with barn-yard manure, 

 and still cultivated — one more fine crop, and the next winter one- 

 half of his trees were entirely killed. Now I believe the orchard 

 would have been all right with the cultivation and without the 

 manure, or with the mulch without cultivation ; but both together 

 was too much. 



Our orchards can only be kept in proper condition by constant 

 care and watching, much the same as the intelligent farmer gives 

 to his herds. We must see to it that our trees are neither over-fed 

 nor starved — that they neither die from too much water or from 

 drouth, 



I feel confident that almost all our upland orchards in Missouri 

 suffer very much during the summer months, especially in July 

 and August, from a lack of moisture. 



If Ave could in some way retain the annual rainfall belonging 

 to each tree, we w©uld see a great improvement in the health of 

 our o-rchards. 



We can see evidence of this in the flourishing condition of 

 trees in the little valleys where they get more than their share of 

 the rainfall. 



A recent writer attributes the present barren and unhealthy 

 condition of the orchards on the rolling lands of Illinois to a lack 

 of water — too much of tlie rain is lost. Another repoi'ts good 

 success in growing pears in wet land, almost a slough. We find 

 King David has made a note on our side of this question, when he 

 compares the righteous man to a '^tree planted by the rivers of 

 water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also 

 shall not wither." Now, if we would keep our orchards healthy. 



