28 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



out the water sprouts and keep tlieni down aud do not trim the main tree 

 very much. Of course this I cannot do myself very much, in my orchard 

 and am obliged to have it done. I may say, however, that I do not be- 

 lieve in severe pruning. 



Mr. Smythe — It is not always necessary that a man who owns his 

 orchard, do all the i>runing; some one else can do it for him. 



]\Ir. Fritz — I used to be better on the board of trade than in a i^ear 

 orchard. (Laughter). 



Q. I would like to ask Mr. Fritz how long- he cultivates. Does he 

 cultivate for a while and then stop? 



Mr. Fritz — I cultivate right along until the first week in July. That 

 brings us out long enough "so as to stand the drought. I have noticed 

 a little in my orchard this spring. I plowed it, worked it, for quite a 

 while and finally seeded it. Every thing was all right until it got vei'y 

 dry. Then I saw that the blight had started in that orchard. It went 

 into the orchard that was not worked. 



Q. What do you think stai-ted it, or what was the cause of its spread- 



ing 



Mr. Fritz — I think it was cultivating the trees for a time, and then 

 stopping and vice versa. Any sudden change will cause it. • 



A Member— I do not think Mr. Fritz ploAvs his orchard. 



Mr. Fritz — I use the Disc harrow and the Acme harrow ; I never plow. 



Q. Do you seed the orchard down ? 



Mr. Fritz — Generally the weeds take it in July. 



Q. How early do you begin to cultivate your orchard? 



A. Just as soon as I can. get on to it. 



A Member — I have some pear trees that have been in bearing for 

 twenty years, in sod. Two years ago I began working that orchard, 

 since which time they have all died. 



Q.' Did you work the orchard all the time? 



A. I worked it until July. 



A Member — I would like to hear from Mr. Farnsworth. 



Mr. Farnsworth — Well I may say that my experience has been quite 

 similar to those that have been given. I have |)lanted every variety I 

 could find. The heavier soil is the best adapted to pear culture, and I 

 only plant the Bartlett. I have only had one limb blighted during the 

 last four or five years. I cultivate until about the time of blossom. I 

 have found very little danger from pear blight until blossom time. Some 

 of my orchard I have cultivated and some I have in sod and mulch, but 

 I am like Mr. Welch, in my experience that since using lime-sulphur 

 I have had little or no blight. Before that time I lost hundreds of 

 trees. My method of pruning formally was to cut back the tops and es- 

 pecially of the Kiefers to keep them from growing too high. I am not 

 ])lanting any more Kiefers now, as I find the Bartlett much more profit- 

 able, however, I may say that wliere they are planted with other variet- 

 ies I have not found that they bear so well. 



Q. How often do you spray with lime-sulphur? 



Mr. Farnsworth — Once when dormant, once just before blossom, then 

 after that about twelve days or two weeks. 



Q. What strength do you use? 



Mr. Farnsworth- — Lime-sulphur one to forty on the pear. 



Q. How much arsenate of lead? 



