No. 4.] THE NEW ORCHARD. 47 



should be cut. down and a " real orchard " set in their place. 

 But instead of this they were pruned and fertilized and 

 sprayed, with the result that the third year they bore 200 

 barrels of apples and the fifth year 175 barrels, for which 

 we were offered $1 more per barrel than the market price, 

 on account of the quality of the fruit. There are hundreds 

 of old orchards in the State that would do as well if they 

 were given the same treatment. 



We start in the spring with pruning and dormant spray- 

 ing, and this is followed by spraying our apples for codling 

 moth. If we had only peaches we should omit this spraying. 

 Then later on we spray our peaches with self-boiled lime- 

 sulphur, at a time when there is little to do in the apple 

 orchard. Then all of our lower lands are seeded down to 

 hay, a crop that lends itself admirably to the profitable dis- 

 tribution of labor, because haying comes in just as we are 

 through spraying and is out of the way just in time to begin 

 picking the earliest peaches. 



Now a few words in closing about marketing our fruit. 

 We have worked principally to develop a family trade in 

 fruits, and personally I believe that this is by far the most 

 valuable kind of trade. I had rather sell a man five barrels 

 of apples at $4 a barrel than two boxes at $2.50. On the 

 other hand, we must not overlook the fact that the less fruit 

 one sells a customer at one time the more that customer is 

 willing to pay. At two apples for 5 cents (a very reasonable 

 price where one is buying a few apples to eat) a barrel of 

 apples (estimated at 350 apples) will sell for $8.75. In 

 fact, I believe that if growers could persuade their grocery- 

 man to handle the fruit on a commission, some form of small 

 basket or carton would be very profitable. This plan not 

 only gives the advantage of better prices to the grower, but 

 it gives him a certain control over the price, which is very 

 desirable. 



Mr. Taylok. Where would you prune a two-year-old 

 tree ? 



Professor Seaes. I wouldn't prune it at all until next 

 spring. 



