650 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



to take pains in planting. Marie off your ground, get your rows marked 

 out straight so it will not make you cross eyed to cultivate along the row. 



Dig a good-sized hole and when you think you have done it about 

 right get down in the hole and spade it up a spade depth deeper. This 

 will loosen the earth so new roots will penetrate to moisture. Plant 

 the tree as soon as the hole is dug, while the earth is yet moist, and 

 it will need no watering. 



Always keep the roots moist. Stand your tree up in the hole, leaning 

 to the one o'clock sun, and work fine moist earth in among the roots. 

 Fill in till the hole is nearly full, then tramp with the feet till the 

 ground is very firm. Then fill up till level and leave loose. Planted in 

 this way they will need no watering; 99 per cent or better should grow. 



It is well to trim the top back at planting time. Know what you are 

 planting. If for family use you may plant several sorts, but if for market 

 plant such as there will be a demand for. 



Our fruit crop last fall taught many lessons. About the time the Duch- 

 ess apples were maturing I looked into the market question somewhat 

 and wrote some commission houses that there were some surplus apples 

 at Milford. They requested to know when the fruit would be ready to 

 ship and as a result a commission man from Mason City, Duluth 

 and two from Minneapolis were on the ground on short notice. Likewise 

 when the Wealthy were ready buyers were plentiful. 



A cold storage firm in Kansas wrote me to know if I could furnish 

 them twelve carloads of Wealthy at a good figure. The only requirements 

 were that they had been sprayed and were sound fruit. 



Here is a hint to our local storage plant. Get busy next time and 

 store the best fruit. 



I understand two or three carloads of Spirit Lake Wealthy apples are 

 in storage at Mason City at the present time. These ought to be here. 

 I think we should look into the matter of spraying more thoroughly. 



I am satisfied we have got to come to it and that if properly done it 

 will pay a large dividend. I found a great difference in my trees that 

 were sprayed last season. I am not an agent nor have no axe to grind 

 for any spray company, but think it is a mistake for the average farmer 

 to attempt to mix his own spray. I find I get better results from the 

 ready prepared mixtures. 



Am sorry I cannot be at your institute and learn from your experiences 

 along this line. I have only touched on a few lines in horticulture. 

 Much might be said of other fruits and varieties, but I know well that the 

 subject is in good hands when entrusted to Mr. BufRn. 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF CORN THROUGH BREEDING. 

 By W. A. Hook in Iowa State Register and Farmer. 



(This article was the first prize winner in the Iowa corn growers' 

 contest, written from the viewpoint of the breeders). 



The greatest improvement in our corn must come through increased 

 yields as associated with better quality. The knowledge of this needed 

 improvement is spreading rapidly through the agency of natural forces, 



