FARMERS' INSTITUTES. «^^ 



DEMANDS or THE PRESENT TIMES IN THE HANDLING OF 



ORCHARDS. 



HON. GEORGE T. POWELL. 



One of the first demands upon us is for the destruction and absolute 

 clearing out of all of our old orchards. Everywhere I go I have dis- 

 covered one general condition — old orchards under the most 'serious 

 neglect — and it is these that are giving us some of our most serious 

 problems to meet in fruit culture — the competition of products from 

 other sections that are grown upon young trees that are so much finer in 

 appearance, at least. I believe that we should set more young orchards, 

 and co-operate more with young trees; this especially to apply to apple 

 and pear culture. Our culture should be upon a very much finer system. 

 We should give far cleaner culture to all our orchards. Peach growers 

 understand the importance of this, but the same principle that brings 

 such success in peach orchards is sadly needed in the culture of all other 

 orchards. We must most carefully study the demands that naturally 

 come upon us to shorten, if possible, the period in which the orchard 

 will be unproductive for us. We must study the question more carefully 

 than we ever have done before of the productive ability of varieties; of 

 the possibilities of introducing into our orchards the principle of heredity 

 of propensity for earlier bearing of fruits. We are taught by the ex- 

 perience of the past winter the importance of studying constitutional 

 strength and vitality in trees. 



BUILDING' UP A HARDY ORCHARD. 



1 began, seven years ago, the propagation of certain varieties of some 

 of our choicest fruits that are known to be lacking in constitutional vigor 

 and am working them upon what I consider very hardy stock, and with 

 many promises of success in this direction. In apple culture I have been 

 using the Northern Spy apple tree as my foundation for everything that 

 I wish to grov,\ I purchase the Northern Spy trees — ^set them in my 

 orchards — and then top work them with all the varieties I wish to grow. 



The Tompkins County King stands today among one of our choicest 

 varieties in every point of desirable quality. It is an apple that is pre- 

 eminentl,y sought for in the English market, as well as in our own 

 market, and yet if grown upon its own stock, cannot be recommended 

 because of its constitutional weakness, and when it arrives at the age 

 of profitable bearing condition the orchard is then in the period of seri- 

 ous decline. I have been working the King upon this Northern S}>y 

 stock, and have, today, an orchard of this variety which gives every 

 promise of strong vitality and of long life, and I am so firmly impressed 

 with the value of this system of working that I am growing every variety 

 in this manner, at the present time. 



