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that they may not be discouraged with fruit growing here, to see that they 

 do not make this fundamental mistake of starting at eighteen or twenty 

 inches from the ground. 



Mr. Hatch: One word about the quincunx form of planting a tree. 

 Several years ago I started planting on that plan, and before I found out 

 that I had not made much I planted about four hundred acres, and it 

 would be a great benefit to me if any one would tell me how I could thin 

 those trees. I planted them a little over twenty feet apart, and that was 

 further than I was advised. First, I was told fifteen, and I planted at six- 

 teen, and then I got twenty and a little more. The oldest I planted are 

 apricots; they have been planted five years, and the last two years they 

 have been pretty close, so that they have not given half a crop. There is 

 no way that I can figure it up that I can thin those trees excepting to take 

 out alternate rows, which would put them over forty feet apart one way 

 and twenty feet another. If they had been planted in squares I should 

 take out alternate diagonal rows and leave them equal distances. 



Dr. Peck: I only want to say two or three words for those of us who live 

 up in the foothills on the granitic soil and plant our peaches on the hill- 

 side. Take the advice of the valley growers, and you will make a terrible 

 mistake, and if the valley farmers take our advice they will make a mis- 

 take. There is no comparison between our lands and your lands. Mr. 

 Butler is absolutely correct — eighteen or twenty feet apart for peaches with 

 us is far enough apart. We claim that we' can produce good peaches, and 

 we do grow good peaches, for they bring us a good price, and those who 

 are cultivating peaches get rich, rich enough for common folks; and if they 

 would plant their trees twenty-five or thirty or forty feet apart, they would 

 waste their land; there would be no practical good result. 



Mr. W. W. Smith, of Vacaville: As my place has been referred to, I 

 would like to make a few remarks on the subject, of pruning more partic- 

 ularly. I do not think that that subject has been exhausted, gentlemen; 

 it is one of the most important subjects connected with fruit growing, per- 

 haps the most important. I think in our section we pursue a somewhat 

 different course in pruning from what Mr. Roch does. From his essay I 

 understand that he practices what they call the pyramid, trimming the 

 tree in the shape of a pyramid. Is that your method of pruning? 



Mr. Roch: No, sir; not at all. 



Mr. Smith: In our section of country, in Vacaville, we prune our trees 

 in the shape of a vase, or conical; a tree with a hollow center, that admits 

 the sun to come into the center of the tree and throws your fruit on the 

 outside, to the circle on the outside of the tree, so that it all ripens up pretty 

 much alike, and you can pick it without much trouble, and there is but 

 very little of the fruit goes in the shade. The sun and air in this country 

 are essentials to the full development of our fruit, especially the peach and 

 the apricot. We take a one-year old tree from the bud or graft, a straight 

 switch, as some of our trees are as they come from the nursery. You all 

 understand what a one-year old tree is as they come from the nursery. We 

 like a straight switch, without any side branches. After the tree is set out 

 cut off about a foot from the ground; just cut the twigs right off; leave a 

 little stick about a foot high. In setting your trees, in handling them, and 

 taking them from the nursery, always take care not to rub the buds off 

 near the ground. I will give you a reason for that directly. After the tree 

 is set out, and after you prune it — the growth begins in the spring of the 

 year — when the tender shoots begin to be budding, about the length of your 

 finger, go through the orchard and pinch back the terminal bud there of 

 all branches that start, except about three — three, or four, or five. Best 



