FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 267 



as you can. An orchard which does not get started until June is in a 

 very poor condition to get ready for winter, while one that starts with the 

 first flow of sap will stand a great deal more. Oftentimes an orchard 

 is partially killed through a little inattention to this particular part. 

 The winter catches it in a tender condition and injures it to that extent 

 that before it has half lived its usefulness, it is rotten at the heart. One 

 of the most frequent causes of this injury is immature wood. 



CROPS IN THE ORCHARD. 



The matter of cultivation of the soil I consider a very important one. 

 The first year after setting the peach orchard, I would grow some crop on 

 it; but there is a difference in crops. A crop planted early to mature in 

 August or July, and make its heavy draft on the soil for moisture at that 

 time, is objectionable; it is too early to ripen the peach, because by tak- 

 ing the water out of the soil at that time you will make them form ter- 

 minals, and usually about the first of September we get rains, and warna 

 weather, and they will start again, and that leaves them in a very bad 

 shape because they never can mature before winter. I would not plant 

 early potatoes in the orchard, and I do not consider them a very good 

 crop in an orchard any way, because the digging may start a little sap, 

 which you do not want to do. But if I planted any potatoes in an 

 orchard, they would be late ones. I prefer corn to potatoes. We find 

 with us that a crop of melons is really the best, but melons are not 

 grown everywhere. Many people over the State go at it with an appar- 

 ent deliberate intent to crop their orchards out before they come into 

 bearing. Now this is a sad mistake. We should remember that the 

 orchard is the prime crop for that land, that is what we are expecting 

 our money from. I have practiced growing two crops in the orchard 

 by using fertilizers of some character that would compensate for what 1 

 would take out, by trying to have my land in condition before setting. 

 In the future I think I shall never grow but one crop and then turn the 

 land over to the orchard. My own experience and observation lead me to 

 believe that I know five dollars can come out of it where you can never 

 get one by the other method. 



CULTIVATING WITH NO CROP. 



The cultivation of an orchard that has no crop in it is a very cheap 

 affair. You can cultivate it with two horses and it is very rapid work, 

 but there are very few good cultivators. But that cultivation must bo 

 of a character that must drive the tree just as hard as possible the first 

 three months; and the next essential point is to use the next three 

 months to ripen the wood perfectly. If you can do that you have the 

 ideal condition, and then you have a sound growth and one that will 

 furnish you lots of fruit and set out good strong buds. Remember that the 

 bud formation takes place in July and August, and without a good crop 

 of buds it is almost impossible to get a crop of good peaches. The foun- 

 dation of your next crop of peaches is certainly laid this year. As yoii 

 have noticed, an orchard that overbears this year seldom furnishes you 



