Sninuicr Meeting. 21 



in the growing of their young trees by not cuUivating the trees in tlie 

 spring. Strawberries are never cultivated until the berry crops are taken 

 oi¥ and the young trees need cultivating in the spring. So those who 

 have this idea, should go around the young trees in the spring several 

 times. If this is done, you will lose nothing by grooving strawberries, 

 as well as other small fruits. I have noticed more bad results from this 

 in Arkansas than anywhere else. I own an orchard of thirty-five acres 

 of peach trees set out in strawberry field and only received the cultiva- 

 tion the strawberries did. Adjoining this, I had peach trees planted with 

 corn, receiving the same cultivation the corn received and] they are 

 three times as large as the others and in the same kind oi ground. All 

 due to the fact that the ones with the strawberries were not cultivated 

 at the right time. 



Mr. JMorrill. — In regard to plant food', do you not have to supply 

 the plant food the crop derives from the soil? 



Secy. Goodman. — This rotation of crops I give you will furnish all 

 the plant food necessary. You take cowpeas, clover and corn, growing 

 them in this order and this supplies all the plant food the land will need. 

 In fact, it will make the soil better year by year. We have a hundred 

 acres of land in the Ozarks which had been in corn for ten or twelve 

 years and would not grow corn. The land has been planted to the 

 orchard and this rotation of crops used and the land is better than when 

 we began. 



Pres. Robnett. — About corn being good to raise apples, if you say 

 clover you would get nearer the point. Any land that grows good clover 

 I believe will grow good orchard. 



A. V. Schermerhorn, Illinois. — We have land that will not grow 

 clover, but we can grow apples. We have to add manure to most of 

 our land. I do not believe that any land that grows good corn will 

 grow good orchards. I think that is a mistake. I think the rich, heavy 

 soil we have in Central, though they raise fine corn there, is not suitable 

 for orchards. We notice that the Central Illinois people invest in our 

 land for orchards. Orchards do not do so well in the heavy soil as they 

 do in our section. We must study our soils. We must not judge from 

 what it produces- in corn or clover. In fact. I think we do' not know 

 just what kind of soil we do want. There is such a large difference of 

 opinion about this. 



Mr. Keith. — What about subsoil? Our soil is a joint clay and I 

 think our land is too rich for trees. It is not hard pan, it is very porous 

 and full of seams. We never use fertilizer. I never use any and think 

 our trees compare favorably with a great majority of trees in the State, 

 We think they grow too much wood. We generally have a good fruit 



