286 Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



must injure some roots. But the roots are of no use unless they 

 have something to eat ; and if we let the grass have the best of the 

 food, there is no gain, and often a loss. In such cases, it is better 

 to plough the ground and destroy the grass, though some roots are 

 destroyed, because the roots left have at least all the food to them- 

 selves. But if we are so situated that we can give the grass all the 

 food it wants, and the tree roots all the food they need, then it is 

 far better not to plough the ground, because then you have not 

 only all the roots to work for you, but some cool shade besides. It 

 follows that in those parts of the world where little manure can be 

 had for top-dressing, it would be the height of absurdity to keep 

 an orchard in grass, no matter how great the theoretical advantages 

 might be. The surface should be ploughed to keep down grass and 

 weeds so that the tree may have all the food there is in the soil. 

 All that we can say is, that as a principle of culture, those trees 

 are the healthiest, the largest leaved, every way the best, which, 

 with plenty of food, have their roots the least disturbed. 



POOE TKEES. 



Henry Waymire. — I experimented in my orchard, and have 

 profited by it. My trees had not borne well for ten or fifteen 

 years except little knotty fruit, until four or five years ago. After 

 a hard winter I determined to cut them down. I advised with my 

 wife about it, then thought I would spare the trees one year more. 

 I dug around the trees for six or eight feet out, and around four 

 of them spread manure, leaving two others without fertilizer. The 

 next spring all bloomed out alike and apj^les began to show on all, 

 but the fruit soon began to drojD from the two that Il-.ad neglected, 

 but the others were loaded down with fine Bellflower apples, so 

 jnuch so that one split in two and was ruined. Since then I feed 

 Ihem manure every year, turn the hogs in until the fruit begins to 

 get good, and I have plenty of apples every year, -and this season I 

 have as fine a crop in quality and quantity as I ever had. I am 

 satisfied that there are hundreds of these old orchards starving to 

 death. A man adjoining me bought a farm with a jiear orchard 

 on it. The trees looked bad and blighted. He rei:)laced the old 

 with new soil, fertilized, and in one season he has increased the 

 yield and improved the looks of his orchard. Another neighbor 

 lias fifteen acres in orchard that blue grass has starved out, so that 

 he has not an apple to-day as big as a hen Qgg, while I have more 

 than I want, and am getting $1 a bushel for what I will sell, right 

 ut home. It's just like the pigs. Neglect them and they Co not 



