38 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



13. Fruit crops remove considerable quantities of fertil- 

 ity from the soil, and the orchard should be fertilized ac- 

 cordingly (36, 37). 



14. The fruit of trees that tend to overbear should be 

 thinned in fruitful seasons by picking off the more defect- 

 ive specimens while young (38). 



SUGGESTIONS TOB LABOEATORT WORK 



1. Select the best site for an orchard on the school or 

 college farm. 



2. If a nursery is within reach, select samples of first- 

 and second-class trees. Practice in distinguishing the dif- 

 ferent species of fruit trees by their appearance. If no 

 nursery is conveniently located, samples of first- and sec- 

 .ond-class trees should be procured. 



3. Search for parasites on the fruit trees in the vicinity, 

 and learn the names of the different species, and which 

 ones are most harmful. 



4. Practice laying out a piece of ground for an orchard 

 by the triangle method. 



5. Compute the number of trees that can be planted, by 

 both the square and the triangle methods, in a square field 

 of 10 acres, the trees to be 25 feet apart both ways, and no 

 tree to be nearer than 12^ feet to the boundary of the plat. 



6. If the time is favorable for pruning, practice pruning 

 both young and bearing fruit trees, carrying out the prin- 

 ciples laid down in this book. 



7. Practice thinning fruit if the time is right and over- 

 bearing trees are at hand. 



