200 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



This year has disturbed and unsettled my theories of orchard manage- 

 ment, until I am completely at sea, without rudder or compass. While 

 I had a very fair crop last year, compared with most others, and was 

 rather wishing for a very moderate one this year, prcfering to not ex- 

 haust the trees for future crops, I was not at all prepared to see very 

 nearly all of the heavy crop drop off, when at the size of cherries and 

 hickory nuts. Various theories could be assigned as the cause of this, 

 but I regard all as the merest guess-work. I sprayed them with Paris 

 green, 7 oz. to 54 gallons water, but trees have been sprayed over and 

 over again, with stronger proportions, without hurt to either fruit or fo- 

 liage. But something did hurt even the foliage, so that the off condi- 

 tion was plainly visible to casual passers on the road, although the ex- 

 tremities made a very fair growth, and the bark on bodies and bra nches 

 is bright and healthy. I washed the bodies with Canada potash, one 

 pound to six gallons of water, for borers, but there is no sign of hurt, on 

 the bark frorh that, even on young trees and last year's growth of sprouts. 

 They have been cultivated every year since planted, 1878, and that fact 

 is perhaps oftener referred to as the cause than any other, because it 

 seems to favor those whom I have been urging to break up their ten 

 year old sod. Mr. Thomas Luke, of Trenton, writes me that his orchard is 

 about the same age and condition, and always drops its fruit, and he will 

 now sow it with clover and never plow it again. I have tried to pull up 

 my end even with friend Murray on this subject, but I begin to fear he 

 will have to give me longer lever, if not allow me to ride awhile. I in- 

 fer that he has an older orchard, cultivated continuously, and probably 

 knows of others, and I call upon him to put his experience against this 

 record. My orchard is nearly all in Raspberries and Blackberries, which 

 we have for years cultivated as shallow as we could, but, as soon as I can 

 replacd them elswhcre, I intend to sow it in clover. But I will watch 

 the trees closely, and whenever they begin to make short growth, I will 

 break it up at a venture. And I will cultivate the berries still shallower 

 if possible, after this. However, if I should have a good crop next year, 

 that might change my program. I do not feel hurt, and am not com- 

 plaining. I have got more fruit from that orchard now, than another 

 orchard of similar size and age, not cultivated, and my trees are nearly 

 as large again. I can afford to let it rest another year or two, and then 

 get more fruit in one year, than all the others ever produced. But 

 we want to learn all we can from it. 



I have not had time to inform myself minutely of the conditions of 

 orchards in other counties in my part of the state, but from all I have 



