68 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



While attending Farmers' Institutes in some fourteen central and 

 lower counties of the State this winter, I endeavored to learn what ten- 

 dency toward the planting of new orchards existed. Only in Oceana, 

 Newago, Saginaw and Oakland counties did I learn of any noteworthy 

 disposition to make new plantings. In the other counties visited there 

 seemed to be some inclination toward giving the old orchards better 

 care, but there was apparently little disposition to put out young trees 

 to take the place of the old orchards rapidly going to pieces. 



But taking the State as a whole, it seems evident from answers to 

 inquiries made of nurserymen and others that there will be an in- 

 creased planting this spring over that of a year ago Greening Bros., 

 well known Monroe county nurserymen, estimate the increase to be 

 about 50 per cent. They report that quite a number of fruit growers 

 whose peach trees were injured last winter are replanting a portion of 

 their peach orchards with apples, setting the trees 36 to 40 feet apart, 

 with peaches in between, the object being that in case of a freeze out, 

 thev will have the apple orchards left to fall back on. Nurserymen 

 state that the greater part of their orders for next spring come from 

 the northern counties. 



But granting an increase of 50 per cent, it is doubtful whether the 

 new plantings will prove sufficient to hold the acreage of the State up to 

 its present limits. As before stated, nearly three-fourths of the apple 

 orchard area of the State lies in the lower four tiers of counties, or in 

 a section where the trees are oldest and have suffeied most from neg- 

 lect. Many of these old trees are annually being removed, and taking 

 into consideration the extent of this orchard area, it will be seen that 

 the rate of decrease must be somewhat rapid. But acreage of itself 

 counts for but very little. I presume that if one-tourth of these old 

 orchards of the State were at once removed, Michigan as^ an apple pro- 

 ducing state would gain rather than lose, because there would be fewer 

 insects, less trouble from diseases, and less inferior fruit to go upon 

 the market in competition with a better grade from younger orchards. 

 Knowing the general condition of our apple orchards as they exist 

 today, it is evident that from the standpoint of profit, one of two things 

 should be done; either the old orchards should be improved or new ones 

 .planted to take their places. In cases where orchards are not in too bad 

 condition, renovation is to be recommended. Some remarkably good 

 results were obtained in the State this past season through improve- 

 ment of old orchards. Orchards which through neglect had produced 

 little if any good fruit in a number of years, were made by pruning, 

 plowing and spraying to yield last fairgood crops of smooth, sound 

 fruit. 



If new plantings are made, it will not pay to start in on the old line 

 of hay and pasture orchards as soon as the trees commence to bear. 

 Our old orchards would seem to be a warning against this method of 

 handling, yet I have seen a few young orchards this winter which are 

 receiving no better care than most of the old ones have received. More 

 careful attention should be paid to pruning, both at the time the trees 

 are set out and each year following. The importance of starting right 

 is not always fully realized, although we often hear this point strongly 

 emphasized. This winter I learned of young apple orchard^ being set 

 in sod, and of trees being put out with no pruning, either of the roots or 



