SUMMER MEETING AT OREGON. 61 



WEDNESDAY, JULY 6TH, 9 A. M. 



The morning exercises were opened with prayer by Elder W. M. 

 Tandy, pastor of the Christian church. 



The president called for reports on orchards, and Mr. Murtfeldt, of 

 Kirkwood, obtained the floor and urged upon the members not to forget 

 that the work of the orchardist did not cease on the planting of trees, 

 that after the planting many treated the orchard afterward as a second- 

 ary consideration. If they plant an orchard they should give it as 

 much care and attention as they would any other enterprise — what- 

 ever was worth doing was certainly worth doing well. He advocates 

 the planting of young orchards, and cited the association to the history 

 of the newer states for results from young orchards — no state in the 

 union had done more for the fruit interests than Kansas ; her Horticult- 

 ural Society. He referred pleasantly to the motto, ''Plant Taters in the 

 dark of the Moon;" he preferred to plant in the earth. In planting 

 trees it was the proper thing to care more for the roots than the tree; dig, 

 deep, large holes ; large enough to admit the roots comfortably ; cut off 

 the laccerated ones smoothly ; set the longest roots to the southwest, it 

 gives strength and upright growth ; take the best soil and build a slight 

 mound in the center to give the roots a downward growth ; recom- 

 mended staking for autumn planting ; twenty years he thought was 

 the average vitality of an orchard. After a time he thought old apple 

 trees formed a rough bark which proved a harboring place for the canker 

 worm, which took three years to destroy ; a good trowel and a man 

 was needed to exterminate them. He found these pe.sts to be very 

 destructive. He gave a brief history of the codling moth, which was 

 also very interesting. He thought the use of Paris Green and London 

 Purple injurious to the tree, especially when used in over proportions. 

 In spraying it will require a few years to test its practical results. He 

 knew of no reason why Missouri could not raise as good fruit as could 

 be found on the continent. The cc'lding moth was the great enemy to 

 the orchardist — though small and insignificant apparently, yet it levels 

 orchards. Insect study should be more thorough We should ascer- 

 tain the difference between our insect friends and foes. The devil's 

 horse, though hideous looking, was a great friend to the fruit grower, as 

 also the lady-bug, Mr. Murtfeldt was highly interesting throughout. 



Mr. Laiiglilin advocated cutting back or rejuvenating of old orch- 

 ards, and was meeting with some success in this line ; while he admitted 



