No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 3^5 



saw the experimental trees in which Mr. Foster Udell, "the Baldwin 

 king" of Brockport, N. Y., proved out his belief that trimming of 

 joung trees was a mistake. His untrimmed trees were away ahead 

 of his trimmed trees and still continue to lead. My first planting of 

 untrimmed trees was in 1908: I set 2,000 and all started to grow but 

 one, and but six died later. Several Baldwins at three years of age 

 bore 40 or more large apples. This orchard at three years had 

 many apples and next year, as a four year old, Ave hope for a good 

 crop. 



Orchard men tell me that I am making a mistake to let the trees 

 bear so 3'oung, but I don't agree with them, and will not take off 

 any apples except to thin and encourage the trees to be annual bear- 

 ers. This orchard has the largest trees for its age of any orchard 

 1 have seen. Bearing apples A\dll not hurt vigorous trees like these 

 in the least. All the trimming this orchard has received is to cut out 

 branches that cross; these are cut in summer. Every tree set since 

 1908 on our farms goes in without trimming. The past season trees 

 set without trimming have endured the worst drought known to 

 Western New York better than trimmed trees. I think our station 

 at Geneva carried on experiments on this line this year, which are 

 favorable to the untrimmed trees. 



I like a low headed tree for my experience shows that trees 

 headed low keep their large limbs farther from the ground than high 

 headed ones. We are setting our permanent trees 42 to 45 feet 

 apart with three fillers to each permanent tree. The trees are 

 dipped in comrirercial lime-sulphur, .34° Beaume test 1 to 9. We do 

 not dip the roots except as an experiment and have never seen any 

 bad results from dipping the roots. The practice of dipping trees 

 before setting is one that cannot be too highly recommended, for 

 the dipping is so much more thoroughly done, is a great saving in 

 time and does not require nearly as much liquid as in spraying. We 

 spray young trees the same as the old ones. 



The year before the orchard is set, I prefer to have some cul- 

 tivated crop on the ground. The ground is staked out so a dead 

 furrow comes for every row, a common or subsoil i)low being\used 

 to loosen up the ground to a good depth. In planting we give the 

 roots plenty of room, putting in fine top soil, well shaken into all 

 cavities, firmly packed with the feet, except the last few inches 

 which are left loose as a mulch. The trees are set deeper than they 

 are grown in the nursery. In filling the holes, we either bank up 

 well with loose dirt which we cultivate down to a level through the 

 season or leave the hole below the level and throw up wnth the cul- 

 tivator. The former Avay is preferable if the season is windy. 



For the first few years soiue cultivated crop planted in hills to 

 suit the width of the rows is advisable so the orchard can be culti- 

 vated both ways. Tomatoes or sweet corn, smaller stalks, the lat- 

 ter not planted too close to the trees, are good crops with some cover 

 crop sown every year. Any of the legumes are good, but we usually 

 sow a mixture of mammoth clover, vetch and cow horn turnips. 

 Mr. Udell, the Baldwin grower, attributed his success to plowing his 

 orchard using buckwheat for a cover crop. He said, "My father 

 was the first one to use buckwheat in orchards in our section. He 

 began its use about fifty years ago. His orchard has not failed to 



