158 The Connecticut Pomological Society 



is my opinion. I think you should do it. My favorite way 

 when I am using soil that is a little tight is to plow it until 

 I get it just exactly as I want it. Plow your ground in the 

 spring as soon as you can work it, and then go in with a 

 short cut-away harrow, and you will find it will do good work. 

 If you can do that every week it will pay you to do it, but 

 whatever you do after you once get started to cultivate go on 

 cultivating. After the first going over, when the ground is 

 mellowed up, put on the harrow. A short cut-away harrow 

 after that will stir up the most dirt and kill the most weeds, 

 but, no matter what you use, cultivate your trees, and go 

 right on cultivating. It will help you out all through, and 

 especially in case of a drought. Of course, we will have a 

 drought once in a while, when even that will not do us any 

 good. We had one last year. But generally speaking, cul- 

 tivation will help you through any drought, and that is the 

 thing to do. 



Now, in regard to trimming your plum trees. Of course, 

 you want to head and shape your trees. Cut them back pretty 

 well, and keep the tree well trimmed up and cut off. Some 

 plum trees will grow away out in this shape, and you have to 

 keep them cut back. They are rampant growers. But you 

 want to remember this: for the first two or three years don't 

 cut out those little shoots inside the tree. Leave those on. 

 It is just the same with a peach tree. You want to leave 

 those on because those are what will bring you the first fruit. 

 If you cut them out you will not get nearly as good results 

 from the tree. After you have had that then you can cut 

 those of?, because then you have your fruit higher up on 

 the branch. You try that, and you will find it is worth 

 remembering. 



Again, when it comes to fertilizers, most anything that is a 

 good fertilizer is good for fruit trees, but there is one thing 

 if I can get it that I prefer, and that is good stable or barn- 

 yard manure. Mr. Hale has told us two or three times that 

 he would prosecute a man that would put it on his orchard. 

 I have used mine in my peach and plum orchards, and it does 

 them good. I know it does. Perhaps something else may do 

 better, but I know that does them good. Perhaps your soil 



