ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 105 



results. If by mulching our bearing trees in part with any 

 convenient material we can maintain sufficient vigor of the 

 tree, improve the color of the fruit, and save' a part of the 

 tillage and fertilizer bills, it would seem a desirable thing to do, 

 especially if we may make the small stones, which are so abund- 

 ant on some of our orchard lands, serve as a mulch, a permanent 

 one. and costing nothing but the labor in placing them there. 

 We know that some things which tend to lessen vigorous growth 

 of trees, seems to cause fruit to be produced of higher color, 

 and possibly of earlier maturity, such as partial griddling by 

 a wire or other means. The work of borers and the new (to 

 us) disease of the peach which seems to, in effect, lessen the 

 tree vigor by a kind of griddling, gives earlier maturing fruit 

 and beautiful color, although off in flavor. These suggestions 

 are offered merely as pointers towards certain conclusions. We 

 are done with the tall-growing fruit tree of any kind, and the 

 first favorable opportunity will find the tops of many such trees 

 coming oft', to be thereafter kept down, and all young orchards 

 will be grown low headed, for from almost every way of con- 

 sidering the matter the advantage seems to be with the low 

 headed, wide spreading tree form. 



Mr. Platt : There may be some questions on this. Could 

 you tell about your plan of partial cultivation, or cultivation the 

 fore part of the season, and mulching? 



j\[r. Barnes: My idea of mulching is to keep down the grass 

 and conserve the moisture. 



Mr. Platt : Have you ever used covers for your baskets 

 in shipping them out? 



Mr. Barnes : Not largely. I have very little doubt but what 

 it adds to the value of a shipment of fruit. There may be two 

 or three cents involved, but if you are handling two or three 

 thousand baskets of fruit a day it is one of those things which 

 adds to the labor, and it is a burden for somebody to carry. 

 That is one reason, I think, why but little has been done in that 

 line. If the market demanded it, and it would pay. doubtless 

 we would do it. 



The President : In a wet season how much cultivation 

 should you give to a peach orchard? 



Mr. Barnes: I cannot give an opinion on that. I should say 

 that in everything I do with the orchard or anywhere else, I 

 calculate to have a reason for it. but I should sav that that was 



