THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



I have found that a thrifty two-year 

 tree is more satisfactory than the 

 one-year whip. 



It is quite easy to throw a brancli 

 in any direction desred by pruning 

 to a bud on that side of the branch 

 for the terminal bud. In pruning 

 the small branches where the wound 

 is normally sure to heal in one year 

 I have found it quite essential co 

 prune quite near to a bud, and this 

 will insure a smooth wound and will 

 leave no scar or stub, which is so 

 often the case if from one-half to 

 one inch is left beyond the bud. 



I think it is possible to prune too 

 much during the first ten years in 

 the life of the orchard. This is more 

 apt to be the case after the third 

 or fourth year than before that time. 

 I have found where a tree in good 

 condition after being set four years 

 is making good growth, that it docs 

 not require much pruning other 

 than cutting out interfering branch- 

 es and water sprouts. Indeed, ! 

 think it is apt to delay the bear- 

 ing of fruit, if too much pruning is 

 done at this time, as it tends t« 

 tlirow the energies of the tree into 

 growth of wood rather than into the 

 formation of fruit spurs and buds. 



During the first three or four 

 years of growth of the tree if other 

 conditions are favorable the more 

 the tree is pruned the more growtn 

 it will make, and during this time 

 I have found that if from one-third 

 to one-half of the growth is pruned 

 off in early spring it tends to give 

 a more branching growth and at 

 the same time the growth is more 

 stalky. During this time the main 

 branches are being selected, and 

 with this method of pruning it will 

 give more fruit spurs near the cen- 

 ter of the tree. 



The cultivation during the iirst 

 years in the orchard can easily be 

 that, of companion crops planted be- 

 tween the trees, but the welfare of 

 the trees should always be upper- 

 most in our minds. One minute of 

 carelessness in cultivating or driv- 

 ing the team in the orchard may do 

 injury to a tree that will never b-> 

 overcome. It is very easy to drive 

 too near to a tree so that either the 

 horse may break the branches off or 

 the harrow may rub off bark enougn 

 so that it will take four years to 

 heal the wound. I have found it of 

 great advantage to have a team that 

 will stop at once when told, when 

 working in the orchard, as a few 

 feet means the difference between 

 running down a tree and saving it 

 when the team or implement is go- 

 ing straight for it. 



I have not found it of any advant- 

 age to keep all weeds and grass 

 cleaned away from the trunk of tha 



tree during the growing season, but 

 I do hoe the trash away in the fall, 

 so that the mice will not find shelt- 

 er there and girdle the tree during 

 the winter, which would kill it un- 

 less promptly and carefully treated. 



1 have found that stable manure, 

 if it is to be had, is a very good fer- 

 tilizer for tile young trees, about a 

 bushel to each tree during the first 

 few years, and more in proportion 

 later. I have also used chemicals 

 in connection with the manure, and 

 a rule that has worked well with me 

 was as follows: During the first 

 three years apply about 2 to 4 ounc- 

 es of nitrate of soda, depending on 

 the growth of the tree; those that do 

 not show a good growth requiring 

 more. In connection with this I ap 

 plied, before the potash salts were 

 out of the market, about a pound to 

 each tree of a mixture consisting of 

 3 parts (by weight) of muriate of 

 potash and 5 parts of acid phosphate. 

 At present I find wood ashes very 

 good as a substitute, as they not 

 only contain potash but also have 

 some lime. 



By raising some kind of hoed crop, 

 like small fruits, vegetables or even 

 corn between the young trees during 

 •■he first few years of their growth, 

 the expense of cultivation and car:^ 

 of the trees can be met and often 

 some profit be made besides, so tha* 

 when the orchard begins to bear it 

 has no debt to pay off. 



Frank T. Haviies. 



The Worcester County Farmer. 



CUT THE COST OF LIVING WITH 

 A BACK- YARD FLOCK 



Never before in tlie history of the 

 Commonwealth has the necessity 

 been so great as at present for mak- 

 ing use of the back-yard in helping 

 out with the high cost of living, and 

 one of the best ways of doing this is 

 ^o keep a small flock of hens, or raise 

 a few chickens. Such flocks have 

 long been considered very profitable, 

 dut to the fact that much of their 

 feed comes from garden refuse and 

 from the house in form of table 

 scraps. A profit of from $2 to $3 a 

 hen is the usual thing but it is not 

 uncommon to find bocks that yield 

 a profit of from $4 to $6 per hen, 

 depending, of course, upon care and 

 management, local prices as well as 

 the nature of the stock itself. 



A coop 6x8 feet is large enough 

 for 10 or 12 hens. Table scraps and 

 garden refuse may easily form 1-3 

 to 1-2 of the daily ration. Feed 

 one of the commercial mashes; one- 

 half of the feed should consist of a 

 "scratch feed," one to 1 1-2 quarts 

 per day. Raise chicks or buy pul- 

 lets in the fall; be sure they are 



hatched early and are of vigorous 

 stock. Sow a patch of rape as soon 

 as frost is out of the ground. This 

 will cut down feed bills materially. 

 Raise a few beets and mangle for 

 winter feed. 



FOR SALE: — Registered Holstein 

 bull, yearling. Dam made 20 lbs. 

 butter in 7 days. Price, $50, If 

 taken at once. C. M. Thayer, 

 Cummington, Mass. 



FOR SALE: — Guernsey bull calves 

 at reasonable prices. Mixter 

 Farm breeding. Pine opportuni- 

 ty if taken at once. Two of the 

 calves are from advanced Regis- 

 try Cows. George Timmins, 

 Ware, Mass. 



FOR SALE: — Farm of 50 acres. 

 Good S-room house with wide pi- 

 azza. Barn and henhouse. Nev- 

 er-failing spring water. 100 

 grafted apple trees, abundance 

 wood and timber for farm use. 

 Telephone and free delivery of 

 mail. An ideal location for poul- 

 try. Price $1,000. Reasonable 

 terms. Address owner, H. H. Ma- 

 son, Worthington, Mass. 



FOR RENT: — Farm of 400 acres, 

 consisting of 10-room house, large 

 barn, pastures, wood, mowing, 

 three blueberry lots, apple orch- 

 ard, supplied with barn yard fer- 

 tilizer for spring planting, some 

 old hay. Farm located on State 

 Road, one-third of a mile from ho- 

 tel. "Hinckley Williams Farm." 

 Address, F. H. Botlwood, Will- 

 iamsburg, R. F. D. 



Try Davis Yellow Flint Corn for 

 high yields and quality — Perley 

 E. Davis, Granby. 



FOR SALE: — Fair driving horse; 

 cheap farm horse. Also at a 

 bargain. New 70-egg Cypher In- 

 cubator, never been used. Park 

 Hill Farm, Easthampton. 



FOR SALE: — Extra good driving 

 horse. Six years old, free roader, 

 sound in every way. Weight, 950. 

 Must be sold at once. Apply Farm 

 Bureau Office. 



FOR SALE: — 1 No. 15 DeLaval 

 Separator, nearly new; 1 Cam- 

 bridge Reversible Plow, new; 1 

 76A Reversible Plow; 1 4-bottle 

 Babcock Tester; 1 2-seated Spring 

 Wagon, with automobile top. A. 

 F. Dyer, 24 Summer St., North- 

 ampton. 



