Page 8 



plowing, sub-soiling or cultivating 

 deeper and deeper, making that dor- 

 mant soil available by oxidation and 

 liberating the stores of nutritious ele- 

 ments which have been so securely 

 locked up for ages, and thus furnish- 

 ing the trees with an ever deepening 

 feeding zone. It is in these greater 

 depths that the foundation is laid for 

 splendid fruit trees with sturdy trunks 

 and vigorous limbs. Deep rooting is a 

 great protection from root infection 

 and from the attacks of the numerous 

 enemies of the deciduous fruit trees. 



The orchardist should never forget 

 that it is his part to see to it that this 

 feeding zone, to its utmost depth, is 

 kept in a perfect habitable condition 

 for our underground workers that the 

 All-Wise Providence supplies, so that 

 they may always have a warehouse full 

 of prepared tree food. There will be 

 no question about the roots pushing 

 down with eagerness to secure choice 

 morsels especially prepared for the 

 nourishment of the tree. We are eye 

 witnesses to the fact that where choice 

 plant tid-bits have been placed under- 

 ground numerous root tentacles, with 

 true tree intelligence, have found their 

 way down to them, and weaving them- 

 selves in and about the substances have 

 absorbed the nourishment contained 

 therein. May we not truthfully say that 

 by deepning the zone feeding we have 

 increased our acerage many fold, if 

 not in length and breadth, surely in 

 thickness. 



The accompanying photographs show 

 something of the comparative yearly 

 growth and fruitage of our trees. 



Among some of our records that we 

 have kept, those of root and branch 

 growth we make reference to with 

 much satisfaction. The fourth year's 

 root growth did show plainly inter- 

 lacing of roots by trees standing 

 twenty-eight feet apart. It has been in- 



Fi' 111 h piiine free four years old from planting 

 Twu hundred and flfly pounds green fruit. 

 The lack of spread of all trees is due to their 

 being drawn together by rope, to prevent 

 breaking down on account of the heavy crop. 

 From $400 to |500 was paid out for twine for 

 this purpose, and likely 30,000 to 40,000 feet 

 of lumber used. 



BETTER FRUIT 



tcrcsting to watch this development, 

 which we are conlidenl from close 

 observation now extends over forty 

 feet from the trees bearing them, it is 

 practically impossible to overestimate 

 the vitalizing elliciency of our rooting 

 system, backed up by soil bacteria. The 

 manifestation of it is clearly deluied in 

 the appearance of the trees, uniform 

 growth, deep green luxuriant foliage 

 and remarkable branch development. 

 Instances have been noted where the 

 new branch growth has been as great 

 as an inch a day for months at a time. 

 From a painstaking estimate which 

 may be considered fairly accurate, we 

 found the branch growth of the tree in 

 one season to total more than 2,5UU 

 lineal feet. Using the same care in 

 determining the leaf area of the tree's 

 foliage it was found to contain (both 

 sides of the leaves) some 6,0UU square 

 feet of surface exposed to the air. 11 

 takes time to oCserve and appreciate 

 fully the dynamic energizing force 

 developed by this root and foliage sys- 

 tem. It will be interesting to note in 

 this connection that our trees have been 

 grown without artiticial irrigation, their 

 sole dependence for moisture being 

 upon the winter rains. 



It is evident that the great problem 

 is that of supplying nutritious fruit-tree 

 food, that is lood which contains all of 

 the proximate elements of the tree 

 body, in the proportions to supply the 

 process of growth, repair and fruitage. 

 Food to be nutritious must be digestible, 

 that is soluble in the fluids of the tree s 

 alimentary canal. 1 am convinced that 

 it is the Divine plan that this food has 

 to be prepared by the soil bacteria 

 before it can be assimilated by the trees. 

 A man's part in the game is to see that 

 the soil is in the finest and best condi- 

 tion,— viz like an ash heap,— for the 

 bacterias' activities. They cannot live 

 in the sunlight, but they do require the 

 oxygen. Hence our summer cultivaticn 

 must be for separating the soil particles 

 and mixing them so as to make a loose 

 homogeneous mass through which the 

 air can easily circulate. 



To the frequent question asked on 

 how to make trees grow, my answer 

 always is just love it, then give it more 

 love. How can you help loving trees 

 when you plant a tree with your own 

 hands and later see it respond so 

 gloriously to your care, producing its 

 fruit in generous, even lavish abun- 

 dance for yourself, your children and 

 even your children's children. Has it 

 no claim upon your affection? There is 

 no love in the world that reciprocates 

 with greater abundance than the or- 

 chard. You give it of your best intelli- 

 gence and intensive care; it gives you 

 back more than a hundredfold. I can- 

 not conceive that it is within the range 

 of possibilities for a man to bring an 

 orchard into its full perfection who 

 never kisses his wife or children. Tn 

 such a one the flowers do not bloom 

 or give of their fragrance, nor does 

 the fruit tree give of its beauty and 

 lusciousness. 



March 



Summary for Planting a Prune Orchard 



First. The orchardist should get a 

 vision of the splendid possibilities 

 opening out before him. That each 

 tree planted must eventually be equal, 

 if not better, than the best trees so far 

 produced in the world. It is helpful 

 towards better development if we get it 

 thoroughly in our minds that we are 

 only trustees of our laud holdings. 

 That it is incumbent upon us to pass 

 on the land so held to the next genera- 

 tion in a better physical and more 

 fertile condition that when received, 

 and so on from generation to genera- 

 tion. This is progress per se. A new 

 aspect is presented when we realize 

 that cultivation means more bacteria, 

 hence more fertility. 



Second. A thorough preparation of 

 the field before planting. Better root 

 ramilication in most soils can be se- 

 cured from an excavated hole than 

 from a blasted one, as the blasting 

 tends to pack the soil at the sides and 

 at the bottom. The cost of blasting 

 material and labor for blasting will 

 defray the cost of digging a good-sized 

 pit, with added advantage of being able 

 to inoculate the deep soil with bacte- 

 ria. A practical method of soil inocu- 

 lation is by taking a bunch of alfalfa 

 or clover roots with numerous bacteria 

 nodules thereon and depositing the 

 same in the excavation. If the soil en- 

 vironment is good the rapid develop- 

 ment of the bacteria will be marvel- 

 ously great. When refilling the hole, 

 throw the soil to the center so as to 

 form a cone; when the proper height is 

 secured place the tree thereon and care- 

 fully separate the roots around the 

 cone, being careful to have the tip of 

 the root pointing downward. Much 

 care should be taken with the first dirt 

 placed around the roots; only the best 

 soil obtainable should be used for this 

 purpose, then firmly pack around the 



Branch from a six-year-old prune tree, 

 121 inches long, grown in about 120 days. 

 The tree had a very heavy crop of fruit. 



