^^° ANNUAL REPORT. 



Other much more than one would at first think. Thirteenth, we manure our trees 

 when they are not making at least six inches growth. Also when we find a tree is 

 very heavxiy set with fruit. Without this in either case the tree would be liable to 

 tarva ion and death. Fourteenth, we mound up with about half a bushel of earth 

 to each tree in Fall, to protect from mice, and we prefer to leave it there through 

 the Sprmg to prevent the round-headed borers entering the bark as they always do 

 near the collar of the tree. The mouse very seldom climbs up a mound of clean 

 earth to gnaw a tree. Fifteenth, to protect from rabbits, we set an old-fashioned 

 box trap baited with sweet apple, carrot, or corn, or hunt his hole and drown him 

 out with two pails of water turned suddenly int« their holes; if in the ground will 

 bring them up quickly. We often whitewash the trunks with a mixture of iime 

 clay, sulphur, and snuff, with good results. Tie newspapers about trunks bui 

 never use tarred paper. 



STOCK IN ORCHARDS AND BLIGHT. 



Of all stock in orchards the pig takes the lead. His omniverous instinct leads 

 him at once to duty and usefulness. Our most injurious insects are hidden in the 

 imperfect fruit which falls prematurely and when left as it commonly is will bring 

 forth and multiply to an alarming extent. All secluded nooks and corners old 

 piles of rubbish and bunches of brush with grass and weeds grown up through 

 them form the insects' paradise. The pig possesses a wonderful decree of push 

 search and research; in fact there is nothing so finely hid that his constant search 

 will not find out. upset, turn over, root to pieces, scatter, tramp out of existence 

 And If the old sod needs stirring up and renovating he will do it without being 

 coaxed or told. He is a most willing servant in his place; and that is in the orchard 

 from spring till time of gathering; and then immediately after. 



Some say he is unbecoming in the orchard, but we have not unfrequently felt 

 more indignant toward some pigs who never were so favored as to have the use of 

 as many legs as the one here referred to. We say of blight for those who are 

 troubled by it: Seed your orchards to blue grass or timothy; remove all protection; 

 keep away all manure; cultivate but little, and mulch thoroughly with light 

 material, straw, tomatoe, or potato tops, fine brush or evergreen boughs. For 

 particulars see our article in Western Rural on Blight. Our views^have not 

 been changed since then. We do not hold to the common idea that some in Minne- 

 sota do, that the Transcendant engenders blight and then sends it to its adjacent 

 neighbors; while many think its conduct will warrant them in so believing, we 

 feel sure that the evidence when better examined will not sustain such belief. The 

 worst bligbted orchard we saw on our trip of five days observation the first of July 

 last, was one facing south shut in close by groves and buildings on north and eas^t 

 and was htteraly a feeding lot for a host of hogs and had been for some years in 

 the past. 



We mulch when the ground is frozen in early winter to keep the sap dormant 

 till proper time for trees to start in spring. In 1884 we mulched with six inches of 

 snow and three inches of frost. We then doubted the utility of our mulching with 

 so little frost in the ground. In January we thoroughly examined our orchard in 



