• Winter Me etin,^. ' 171 



near as possible the treatment my orchard has received; believing other 

 things are equally as essential to make a profitable orchard as spraying, 

 I shall begin at the foundation and tell you as best I can the treatment 

 this orchard has received to the present time. 



I set this orchard in the spring of '95, the land then being in clover, 

 this clover was left the first year, the trees hoed -around for a distance 

 of nearly three feet from the body of the trees, this space was left well 

 pulverized and free from weeds. The second, third and fourth years 

 the middles were broken with a turning plow and planted in corn, check- 

 ing the corn so the rows of trees could be plowed both ways. This was 

 done with a one-horse cultivator, wrapping the end of the single-tree 

 near the tree rows and using all precaution to protect the bodies of the 

 trees. The hoeing was continued same as previous years, since that the 

 land has been in clover, mowing it twice during the season, each time 

 mowing with a scythe near the trees where it could not be reached with 

 the machine. 



Next the pruning. These trees have been pruned once a year from 

 the time they were set, keeping all water sprouts out, allow no forks, 

 and always prune to keep the tree as well balanced as possible, cut out 

 all limbs that interfere with each other. 



Next to protect the bodies of the trees from rabbits and tree ..borers. 

 I use a whitewash, applying it in April and in October. To a peck of 

 lime, I use four pounds of sulphur, one-half gallon of coal tar, and one- 

 fourth gallow crude carbolic acid. In spring I omit coal tar and use 

 two gallons of soft soap. This I know to be a positive remedy against 

 these pests. 



Now to the spraying. I aim to spray from four to five times during 

 the season. First before the bloom opens, second immediately after the 

 bloom falls and at intervals of near ten days after that, owing to the 

 season, I use the Bordeaux mixture exclusively, using five pounds lime, 

 four pounds of blue vitriol and five ounces of Paris green to fifty gallons 

 of water. My method of preparing this spray, is different from any I have 

 heard of and may be called the lazy man's way, yet it has been tested for 

 the last three years, and gives excellent results. 



Before spraying season, I get quite a number of paper sacks, sizes 

 to suit bulk I wish to put in them. I weigh out quite a number of them, 

 placing five pounds of lime to a sack, four pounds of blue vitriol and five 

 ounces of Paris green. I have my pump mounted on a fifty gallon 

 barrel. I place two other fifty gallon barrels in my wagon ; this makes 

 up as much as we can use in a half day. I have a long strainer which 

 I place over the opening in the top of my spray barrel. Before com- 



