344 



THIRD ANNUAL SESSIONS 



"Under arid or semi-arid conditions, it is not wise to seed down the 

 orchard at any time. We are still cultivating our 35 year old orchard 

 from eight to 12 times each season. 



Tree Protection. 



"Do mot fail to guard young trees against rabbits. The protection 

 given to guard against the sun scald will perform a dual purpose of 

 guarding against rabbits or'in case that this has not been done, as in case 

 of forest trees, where the number of trees are so large it is not conven- 

 ient to tie up each tree, then it is well to remember that rabbits have a 

 sensitive nose and can be kept away by applying, with a swab, a combi- 

 nation of blood, soap and tobacco; sometimes we have added red pepper 

 or crude carbolic acid or any offensive substance. The use of a slight 

 amount of flour in the combination makes it more adhesive and less 

 liable to wash off. 



Winter iVIuIching. 



"Currents, gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries should be 

 heavily mulched before winter sets in. Stable litter is usually the most 

 convenient for currants and gooseberries. We use straw in the raspber- 

 ry and the blackberry plantations. In the case of these plants, we aillow 

 the straw to remain on the rows the entire season. It checks the growth 

 of weeds, and retains the major portion of the moisture for the benefit 

 of the plantation. 



"Since the adoption of this method we have never failed to secure 

 a crop of fruit. Fortunately the raspberry and blackberry plants bloom 

 so very late in the season, that they are rarely or never injured by the 

 late spring freeze. 



"About the time the ground commences to freeze, the strawberry 

 bed should be covered by old hay, stable litter may be used, if free from 

 weed seed. 



Vineyards. 



"We have found it wise to trim our vineyards each fall. Drop the 

 canes to the ground, cover with straw and put over them enough to hold 

 the straw down tightly. We regard this as very, very important. 



"The vines left up will often dry out and sometimes suffer severely 

 during the winter from the extreme cold. The cost is slight. We cover 

 our grapes with straw and dirt at a cost of not more than two cents 

 per vine, and the increased certainty of the return makes this a paying 

 investment. 



IV. FIRST DRY FARMING EXPOSITION. 



The Third Dry Farming Oongi^ess was quite successful in interesting 

 farmers to bring in crop exhibits and implement dealers to exhibit mod- 

 ern implements adapted for use on non-irrigated farms in the West. 



Prof. H. M. Bainer, Professor of Farm Mechanics, Colorado Agricul- 

 tural College, and well known to all agricultural imiplement dealers of 



