FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 27$ 



as the average orchard in this country, and I think there are other people 

 that grow largely that have adopted the same system. 



Mr. Bixby: Mr. Morrill told us that wood growth was damaging to 

 fruit growth. I never saw tine large peaches that had not made good 

 wood growth the year before. 



Mr. Morrill : Mr. Bixby I think has not observed what I have said very 

 closely, I said that it frequently occurs on certain soils that good wood 

 growth does not produce the finest peaches. There are conditions there 

 that make good wood growth. Does any man find that heavy rich clays 

 are better than a good rich gravel? If he does, he finds what we do not 

 find with us. 



Mr. : You can get a good wood growth on clay soil. 



Mr. Morrill: We get the best growth there, but not the best peaches. 



Mr. Bixby: Would you top plow hilly or sandy soil in the fall? 



Mr. Morrill: What you perhaps have in your mind is the difficulty 

 that in fall plowing they are swept with the winds and are damaged. 

 My land does not wash. That is one condition you have that I have not 

 got. But it will not wash nearly so bad if a clover sod is turned under. 

 If it was a clay of a character that did not wash or run badly, I would 

 do it. 



Mr. : In pruning you cut a good deal off, almost all of last 



year's growth. That is another thing that we do not do. 



Mr. Morrill: From one-half to two-thirds is not almost all. My 

 growth is from 2^ to 4 feet. 



Mr. : What we try to do is io keep as much of the last 



year's growth as we can and cut off something old. 



Mr. Morrill: We always cut out anything that is of no consequence. 

 My suggestion was this: We commence with a ladder and cut back 

 from one-half to two-thirds, then we commence and go down the limb 

 and thin out until it is quite thin, saying only live wood of course. We 

 get our peaches only on last year's wood. When we get through there 

 is nothing on that tree but that is going to do some good. That cutting 

 off this year throws out a number of growths for next year. 



MARKETING. 



This subject of marketing is one of the most important, and it is with 

 a good many of us a tender subject because some things must be said 

 that are not always pleasant; I have pretty nearly gotten into trouble 

 saying things that I knew to be true. But I think we must look the mat- 

 ter in the face squarely and it will be of interest to do-so. 



Some people always think the commission men steal everything and 

 rob us of what we have gained in the past years. Well, if we go on feel- 

 ing like a lot of abused people we will not find the necessity of rectifying. 

 Consequently whatever I may say will be in good part and with an inten- 

 tion to do good as I understand it, and if I make a mistake recollect that 

 I am perfectly willing to be criticised, and there will be no feeling on my 

 part; if I make a statement that does not apply here, I shall be very glad 

 to hear it. 



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