7U 



MR. BARCLAY : We have had some that are 30 years 

 old, — ^some 12 years old and some 18 years old. 



MR. PARKER: You cultivate them all? 



MR. BARCLAY: Yes, sir. 



MR. PARKER : The reason I asked was that I noticed 

 the other day that the experiment station in Missouri had 

 advocated, after a series of experiments, that when a tree 

 gets to be 12 years old, it better be kept in sod. 



In regard to our own orchards which are here in Wor- 

 cester County, we have got three large orchards — one orchard 

 has not been cultivated to my knowledge for years. Our 

 fruit is fine, and 1 would not think of touching that orchard 

 with a plow under any conditions. Three years ago we read 

 so much about cultivating that we thought we would break 

 up the sod in another orchard which we have on the same 

 range of hills. It was the sorriest thing we ever did. Our 

 next crop of apples was without any color, and we were 

 thoroughly disgusted. This year that orchard has got 

 back into sod, and those trees, which are about 25 years 

 old, were one of the most beautiful sights ever seen. We 

 will never touch it again with the plow, as long as we hold 



I think this matter of cultivation is largely one of the 

 location of the orchard itself, not that anyone can sit down 

 and say that because this man cultivates everybody should 

 cultivate; the soil itself and the actual conditions have all 

 to be taken into account. 



We have some 3500 trees in our young orchards. These 

 we cultivate every year, up to the middle of July, and then 

 put in a cover crop, but judging by our old orchard, after 

 these trees get to be 10 or 12 years old, they are going down 

 to sod. We shall put in orchard grass which, of course, will 

 give a loose sod. Don't put in timothy. Our orchards are 

 in orchard grass. 



A MEMBER: What do you do with the grass? 



MR. PARKER : It is cut and left right under the trees. 

 Don 't take the grass out of the orchard. — leave it right 



