Tenth Annual Meeting 205 



''^ Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: For me to come in at this 

 time and say anything to you on this subject seems preposter- 

 ous, and especially to attempt to follow such men as Brother 

 Bliss, Brother Piatt, and other growers who have spoken to 

 you so ably. An Irishman once appeared in court to testify to 

 his income. The attorney asked him, 'What is your gross 

 income?' 'Well, my gross income is it you want?' Yes, 

 vour gross income.' Pat, being a fisherman on the westerly 

 coast of Ireland, turned around and looked at the attorney, 

 and he says: 'Be jabers, I haven't any gross income; it's all 

 net.' Now, in regard to the cultivation of our orchards, it 

 seems to me it resolves itself into three questions: what to 

 use, when to use it, and how to use it? A spring-tooth har- 

 row, a weeder and a one-horse cultivator are the tools with 

 which I do the work. There is no question in my mind but 

 under some circumstances it might be useful, but after five 

 years it is almost impossible for me to use a plow. Up to 

 that time, — and I am speaking now of peach and plum orchards 

 more particularly, — to use a plow was impossible with me. 

 Therefore, I use a spring-tooth harrow, a weeder and a one- 

 horse cultivator. 



"Now as to when to begin. Begin just as soon as you can 

 get onto the land in the spring, — just as soon as the soil does 

 not become wet and sticky. Then, before I can plow, I calcu- 

 late to go into my peach orchard with a cultivator, and go 

 both ways if possible, and again both ways with the spring- 

 tooth harrow. Then, unless you have very heavy land, the 

 weeder accomplishes all that is necessary. My method of 

 cultivation in the larger orchards is to use a one-horse culti- 

 vator both sides of the tree, going close as I can each side of 

 the row. Then I put in my spring-tooth harrow. If I find, 

 as I do occasionally, that there are eight sections in the cross- 

 cultivation both ways that I can reach, then I use it diagonally, 

 as Brother Piatt has suggested. This cuts up everything on 

 the top soil. 



"Now, in the fertilization of the orchard there are all kinds 

 of materials which are used, and they range anywhere from 

 South Carolina rock to stable manure. I have used until last 

 year only bone meal, muriate of potash and lime. The past 



