612 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



be enough for first yeai', nnd T believed it was sufficient. The orchard 

 was well started. I was down in Georgia till the middle of July. 

 About the 20(h of July T cni^ie houio. On the ()i)i)0site side of the 

 street was land tliat had ])erfeel tillage, plowed, harrowed and culti- 

 vated nicely, had new trees on it. The iiist dav I drove up to this 

 orchard and was going to point out to my Italian friend the differ- 

 ence between full tillage of the land and the grubbing around the 

 tree, and as I drove up, I saw these trees, where Louis had been 

 grubbing were growing as big as those in the cultivated land that 

 grubbing close about the tree was all they needed around the tree, 

 T thought. Then I looked; the first six rows, land between the tree, 

 was all groubbed over; the balance was as I left it in the spring, I 

 found Louis and asked what was the matter, lie said, "Well, you 

 see, T had two or three friends come from the old country. They 

 to stay with me, to find a job. After the first day, I say, *You take 

 a pick and grub hoe; I give you something to do,' and I lead them 

 myself." (And when Louis leads, he leads; he is a regular Maud S.) 

 "I take one row and another man dig the next row, and I keep count 

 of the time, and they dig these six rows clear across the lot." I 

 asked him what he paid them for it, and he told me what he paid 

 them. They soon got another job. I guess they got tired of visiting. 

 I said, "You told me when you got me into this proposition you were 

 just going to grub around them." "But, Mr. Hale, I didn't tell 

 you how far I M'ould grub around." T couldn't believe it until I saw 

 it, you and I say the roots they only go out a little ways the first 

 summer and so it matters not as to tillage for any but the little tree. 

 This was in July. I don't know whether there were any roots out 

 there or not, but on the land he tilled all over the trees were twice 

 as big as where he had grubbed around them four feet. There was 

 no growing crop there. They had the whole field to themselves. 

 That taught me a lesson in tillage. I Avill never forget the wonder 

 of it. So when I see your oat crop and your rye crop, I say, don't 

 teach the people of Pennsylvania or anywhere there is even a pos- 

 sibility of their getting into the orchard heaven when they have a 

 grain crop in the orchard. The trees may live and grow and be 

 moderately satisfactory, when you haven't something better to com- 

 pare them with. 



Question: Is it necessary to prune early? 



MR. HALE: I would prune while in a dormant condition, if pos- 

 sible. I am speaking as a large orchardist. AVe prune all the year 

 around. We prune when we can. Of course, I would rather do all 

 my pruning after the coldest weather of winter is over and before 

 any growth begins in the spring. If you can do it before, if not, do 

 it when you can. Vigorous, strong growth of trees in the early 

 years, for peaches especially, when they have got to proper size, 

 if they have been well fed, nourished and cultivated, growing rapidly, 

 nothing will help fruitfulness like summer pruning. Cut out the 

 extra branches in July and shorten in the others. It is a cruel thing 

 to do to the tree, and any cruel thing you do to the tree shocks it. 

 It is one of the greatest things to develop fruit buds. Some people 

 say their orchards have got to full size and don't bear. Good sharp 

 summer pruning of either tops or roots will cause greater develop- 

 ment of fruit buds. Don't be afraid to thin the fruit from the trees. 



