82 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



plant some varieties of apples for quality's sake, no matter if they were 

 not the best of bearers, and would not omit those whose chief recom- 

 mendation is size and color. Study the list recommended by this society 

 for your district, and plant in addition, any other sorts of high quality 

 that are succeeding with your neighbors. Be sure and plant varieties that 

 ripen consecutively, leaving no gaps unfilled. In planting set a little 

 deeper than the trees stood in the nursery, pressing the earth firmly about 

 the roots and, unless the earth is very wet, put a bucket full of water ta 

 each tree to settle the earth still more firmly about the roots and to fill 

 all vacuums. Cut back the branches to one-third of the previous year's 

 growth, and follow planting with clean, constant and thorough cultivation. 

 Nearly all varieties of apple trees should be planted thirty-five feet 

 apart, cherries, pears and plums sixteen to twenty feet and peaches 

 twenty to twenty-five feet apart each way. I believe that thorough cul- 

 tivation is better than mulching and would plant a wind-break on the 

 north, west and south sides to prevent high winds from blowing off the 

 fruit. Keep the ground clean by frequent stirring, always doing every- 

 thing in the most thorough manner, and your reward will be an abund- 

 ance of the very best fruits. 



DISCUSSION. 



Question: I would like to inquire as to the best way to take care of 

 pear trees? 



Answer: Don't give them very much care. Let them grow. 



Mr. Beltzer: I want to say a word in regard to water. When I came 

 down here I expected I would have to explain some. I believe in water. 

 I believe in watering trees. I had a little bit of experience during 1893 

 or '94, whenever it was that we had that dry season. I planted some 

 cherry trees and I gave them all the care that I knew of and I tell you 

 I lost them. I could not imagine the trouble with my trees and so I dug 

 them up. I cultivated them well and when I dug up the trees, I found 

 at about five inches dovi'u that the ground v/as just as hard as a brick. 

 You should use a lot of water and a good lot of mulcher. 



Question: How deep a hole would you dig? 



Mr. Brown: I would have been glad if I could have got along without 

 saying a word about planting trees, because I think that every member of 

 this association knows how to plant trees. I would plow just as deep 

 as I could, I wouldn't care if I plowed down fourteen inches; I would 

 do it by sub-soiling and then I would dig a hole large enough to put the 

 tree into. I would dig just as large a hole as necessary to accommodate 

 the tree and plant it in that way. That is the proper way to prepare the 

 ground. I might dig a little deeper, but I don't think it is necessary in 

 Nebraska soil. If the ground is not loose beneath the tree you have not 

 plowed the ground right. That is the reason I didn't say anything about 

 it in my paper. During the thirty-five years I have been in Nebraska I 

 have not missed a year when I have not planted trees and I have always 



