Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-02-17
From the Waterloo Courier.
Proceedings OF the Farmers Club
1T. YerLou Township.

JANUARY &c, 1871.
The subject for discussion at this
meeting was "Fruit Culture"
Discussion opened 10y Mr.. Ii. NJ.
Bailer. Said he had some experience
i'm growing fruit; bad been taken in
by trce~pcddlers should be careful
what YOU plant, and where trees are
obtained; gave an instance of a man
trying to sell dead trees; thought a
great many trees were not correctly
labeled and gave some instances to
that effect; had heard that trees
should be set in same way as before
they were taken up-nOrth side Of
tree to the north; had tried both
ways and found that he lost more by
not doing SO; sets trees two inches
deeper than i'm nursery.
ID. w. JOlls-could tell something
about raising fruit; says he has heard
il said that we could not raise apples
in Iowa; it was mistake, we can
raise plenty of fruit if we only try
nine years ago he had planted 100
trees lost one the same season, and
one the past year; thought the bark
bursting not caused entirely by rapid
growth; his trees now averaged
about seven incher i'm diameter :;
White Winter Pearmain was good
bearer, sometimes breaks with fruit !;
The Beethoven had bursted bark and
i'll this instance would die had
heard the Northern Spy recommend
ed, but it took thirteen years TO come
TO bearing; would go north rather
than south for trees had paid $40
for eastern trees, believed two of
them were still alive; liked the
Gross Pointer; ii was an early bear.
er; gave his method of setting his
trees: set 100 stakes straight each
way; then took board six inches
wide, notched it i'm the middle on
one side, and near each end on the
other side; he laid the board so that
the stake for the tree fitted the mid
die notch, and then stuck stakes in
each of the other nOtches; he then
took the board away and dug the
hole, taking up center stakes; by
this method in setting the tree in
place of stake il center notch, he
could not fail of getting them exact
the board should be five or six feet in
length in conclusion said sending
off for trees was poor policy, would
get them nearer home.
Mr.. Curtiss-experience was mostly
observation trees in Ohio were
mostly natural beech trees would
live three years after being girdled
thought the action of the wind haJ
something to do with the bark bust.
lag; the last to die in tree is the
root; so that tree may grow if the
plant were decayed; asked if the
dwarf could be grown with success
said IL was an easy matter to make il
II standard tree by banking high
enough to root above the graft
thought grapes did about as well as
in Ohio; liked soil little gravelly
and rolling; currants do as we'll here
as anywhere; considered straw Der.
ries natural; spoke of raising tire
pear.
MIR. Nanderburg thought trees best
near home; set out 100 in the fall
aud 90 in the spring, one year, from
Delaware county, and all but five
were dead in three years; some o.
them sprouted from the root but die
not bear; seven years ago bought 4:
trees of Mr.. Ordway took pains in
planting; only one died in sever
years; thinks sun killed it; TIVE
bore the first season; four have since
died from Over-bearing; set them OF
Land descending towards. the east
thought trees grew too fast it NIGH
be well to put small lime stones
among the roots when planted
would not plant eastern trees if Civ
en- to him currants need more car,
than they get; Horizons Seeding i!
recommended as Il gooseberry.
Joseph King had set out one orch
ard i'll Ohio; came away and left it
can tell good apple; have set on
an orchard here; got forty trees o
Mr.. Ordway, six years ago; only
three have died; have procured NOR
trees since-ninety in all; five out O
the ninety have died; planted clever
If he could tell the names of m,
trees, and he did it satisfactorily
have got some dwarf apple trees
planted them five years ago; one
has borne two apples; think it bes
to plant quite variety of trees.
Mr.. Merwin thinks Mr.. Mott un
derstands his business; has seen hin
tried in several orchards, and he tolc
the names of the trees satisfactorily
aud can tell bow long after tree i!
set out before it will bear.
Mr.. Mott things pruning should b,
done away with and trees should b,
banked up eight or ten inches in tn,
fall, and removed in the spring ant
mulched.
Mr.. Merwin has planted forty ap
pie trees, and but five are alive; die
not consider Greening, Swasz anC
Yellow Bellilower good for any
thing.
Mr.. Jolls thought agents could tel
very smooth story did not think
wind was the cause of the bark burst
ing around the roots; would not re.
commend leaving weeds aud grass
among trees, on account of mice
monding lists of trees, they have no
experience in raising fruit; thought
Domiuey, Royal Pippin, Bellfiower,
Juneating and Tallman Sweet were
good varieties TO plant.
Mr.. Bailey agreed with Mr.. Joils
about the smooth story; would re-
commend seeing the tree before pur-
chasing; would recommend land de-
scending to the north; thought
quarry chips around trees were not
good; believed in mulching; would
plant apple trees one rod apart each
way without trimming.
Mr., Merwin-w0uld like to know
the reason of the curled leaf Oh the
annie tree. and the pure.
Mr.. Jolls-don't think much of
trimming trees; thinks grapes will
do well here, and knows currants
and gooseberries would; thought we
could lot raise trees withoutcrotches;
believed in letting the crotches grow.
Mr.. Garter thought trees ought to
he trimmed, but he was GOO miles
west Of where he learned to raise
trees, and it might be different here.
Mr., Messenger had seen trees tried
on the Indiana plan, and they were
"a failure; thought banking up trees
in the fall was good plan thought
plums could bo raised in three years
from seed; recommended planting
black raspberries; thought currant
r:ees could be raised as well as
bushes.
Mr.. Bailey thought banking up
apple trees i'm the fall was good for
nothing; thought middling wet land
was good for trees.
Mr.. Jolls thought the wind break
should be thirty or forty feet from
The orchard.
Mr. Messenger thought lombardy
poplar killed apple trees, if too close.
Mr.. Vanderburg differed with Mr..
Messenger.
Mr.. Jol!s thought Mr.. Messenger
was right. and thought apple trees
ought to lie twenty feet apart; re-
commended soft maple for u wind
break also, ash and elm.
Dir. Bailey thought box elder just
tile thing.