70 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
January, 1917 
This is supposed to be a composite likeness of all the cows in Wisconsin 10 years ago. 
Dozing contentedly, confident of her supremacy she gives no heed to the little 
apple. trees growing all around her nor senses in them a formidable rival. 
This is another picture of the same cow — but now somewhat agitated as she finds 
these apple trees so big as to cast her majesty somewhat into the shade. Time 
5 years ago. 
See next page 
have tender skins, fine flavor, 
and rich color with all the virture 
of the berry retained. 
I wait for the day when by 
proper treatment and judicious 
methods, the cranberry will come 
into its own rightful place in 
usefulness and appreciation by 
the inhabitants of America. 
The Care of My Orchard 
J. F. Harrison, Delegate from 
Minnesota Society 
About twenty years ago I set 
out my first orchard and of course 
like many others made some mis- 
takes. One serious mistake was 
that I got too many varieties, 
another I tried to cultivate them 
and grow corn, potatoes, straw- 
berries and other garden crops 
between the rows. This was a 
bad thing in my case as my or- 
chard was set out on a north east 
slope, which was quite steep. 
The cultivating of the crop 
caused the good soil to wash 
down to the foot of the hill and 
left the tree on a ridge. I did 
not set the whole slope out to 
trees when I set out the first 01 - 
chard but set out enough to 
give me some experience for I 
then realized cultivation on a 
side hill was not the thing. 
A few years later I set out the 
rest of the piece but this I set 
out in clover and timothy sod 
but I kept them mulched with 
good barn yard manure and I 
found they did just as well if not 
better than the ones I cultivated 
and now I am convinced that 
this is a better way to start an 
orchard in this extreme hot and 
cold climate. 
I have always sprayed at least 
once a year since the orchard has 
been bearing and last season I 
sprayed four times. I genet ally 
white washed the trees early in 
the spring as far up as a man can 
reach. This I consider takes the 
place of a dormant spray, in fact 
this is a dormant wash. I think 
this has helped to keep the in- 
sects down in the orchard. 
I have raised calves in my or- 
chard every year after the trees 
have grown so large that we can- 
not cut the hay and cure it. I 
think we have had calves in the 
orchard for the last twelve years. 
We have raised a crop of calves 
as well as a crop of apples every 
year since the trees started to 
bear, — some years more apples 
than others but generally the 
same number of calves. We 
realize on an average over a 
hundred dollars an acre every 
year since the orchard has started 
to bear well besides the crop of 
calves which I have spoke of. I 
believe the calves help to keep 
down insects in the orchard be- 
cause they eat all the apples that 
fall off early which are generally 
wormy. I mulch every other 
year with manure right from the 
barn. I keep the orchard pruned, 
generally do a little every year. 
I believe in lots of air and sun- 
light. An orchard to do well 
needs air drainage as well as 
soil drainage. 
You must have plenty of air 
and sunlight if you want nice 
and well ripened fruit. This 
fruit always brings the best 
price. By keeping young growth 
in an old orchard you will have 
just as nice fruit and just as well 
colored up fruit in an old orchard 
as you do in the young orchard, 
this is done by pruning when 
done right. Do not let the tree 
have its crop on old wood all the 
time, cut some of it out each 
year. For a young orchard I 
would not prune very much. 
