50 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Novel Methods in Apple Growingf. 



By Mr. Grant G. Hitchiugs, So. Onondaga, N. Y. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



It was with some degree of rehictance that I consented to 

 come down here and talk to you, but thinking that perhaps 

 some of these theories of mine, and some of these methods 

 employed by me as a grower, would be interesting to you, I 

 consented to come. In order to make a continual success of 

 fruit growing, it is necessary to thoroughly understand certain 

 underlying principles and then to vary the practice and treat- 

 ment of your orchard as your particular soil, location, and 

 climate seems to require. In my talk to you this afternoon, 

 these principles, and the different methods I have adopted to 

 conform to them, will be described, and also the results of the 

 several methods as I have seen them practiced and worked out 

 on my own farm. I will describe the methods practiced upon 

 my own farm, from the planting of the trees to the marketing 

 of the fruit. Xow, there are three main principles to observe, 

 and the most important of the three is, how to retain the mois- 

 ture in our soils. The next is, how to keep up the supply of 

 humus or decaying vegetable matter in our soils, and the next 

 and third is, how to maintain healthy foliage on our trees. 



Now in regard to these three principles, it is necessary to 

 thoroughly understand the reason for them. When I com- 

 menced to observe and think about this thing, I made up my 

 mind that what we wanted was some plan which would give us 

 a profit and enable the work to be done the cheapest, and at the 

 same time get good results in the quality of the fruit. Whether 

 I have been getting good results or not from my methods I 

 will leave you to judge after you have heard the little I have 

 got to say, and perhaps look at some samples of apples which 

 I have brought over with me. I have tried to follow the plans 

 of these professors, and in most things I agree with them. 

 But what I am doing is almost revolutionary to what they say 

 ought to be done or to what the}' recognize as a correct method. 

 It is a complete turnabout. It is almost directly the opposite. 

 Now the importance of moisture in the soil has been thoroughly 

 explained this afternoon, and tliat a tree in order to grow must 

 take its food from the soil through its roots in liquid form, or 



