134 State Horticultural Society. 



We have cultivated our orchards and fruit gardens from three up to 

 fifteen times in one spring and summer, just as often as the condition 

 of land and season made it necessary. Every day the ground remains 

 in a crusted condition there is a loss in growth of tree, and if it be 

 loaded with fruit, so much greater will be the necessity of thorough 

 cultivation in order to conserve the moisture needed to carry the fruit 

 to maturity, and at the same time keep the trees in a healthy growing 

 condition and induce them (\i possible) to make fruit buds for a crop 

 the ensuing year. 



CROPS FERMISSIIU.E. 



Any crop which requires careful cultivation, as corn, potatoes, 

 melons, cabbage, and other vegetables may be grown with advantage to 

 the trees and profit to the owner. There are also other crops which 

 may be profitably grown in the orchard (while young), notably, straw- 

 berries, raspberries, red clover and cowpeas, and for a cover crop for 

 winter protection to root system, rye may be sown in fall and used for 

 winter pasture for hogs. No one should attempt to grow all of these 

 crops in his orchard. And as to which will be the most suitable, and 

 best paying crop, each one must decide for himself, since much will 

 depend upon the kind and character of land, and the demands of the- 

 local market. One objection so often urged against cultivating the 

 orchard is the loss that occurs by washing. True, there will be a loss 

 of this kind, just the same that the farmer meets with continually in 

 cultivating his corn crops on rolling or hilly land, but what farmer 

 would advise non-cultivation of corn because the land washes? 



When the orchard reaches a bearing age, and when carrying a full 

 crop of fruit, no crop of any kind whatever should be grown in it, but 

 the cultivation should be for fruit alone, and the cover crop for winter 

 protection, whatever it may be, should be destroyed, and cultivated into 

 the soil in early spring. Cultivated orchards, are less liable to damage 

 from insects on both tree and fruit, for the reason that the poultry and 

 birds have a much better chance to pick them up than in the orchard left 

 to grow in weeds and grass. The sun, air, and frost, will also have a 

 mere beneficial effect upon the orchard when cultivated. 



But the great drawback to cultivation, and to the Missouri fruit 

 grower in general, is that old mother nature has done so very much for 

 him, that he thinks it altogether unnecessary to do much for himself 

 or his orchard. He seems tO' think it quite enough to plant the trees, 

 turn in the stock, and gather the fruit. In conclusion permit me to 

 sav, that, if all the fruit growers and farmers of Missouri (which has 



