Milford chronicle., 1889-11-01


crop, possibly by tobacco, of the culture Of
which he knew too little to speak positively
thought it probable that where the land was
strong enough to produce tobacco, tress
would do well, and it was possible that to-
bseco grown in the land might haYe some Of
the effect intimated in the paper. Mr.. Will
lis was not afraid of manure in the peach
orchard; but on tEe contrary, he would use
all he could command for the purpose. His
experience with stable MANURE was adverse
to the sentiment ofthe paper. He quoted
Mr.. David cummins as authority, that sta
bic manure was good thing for the peach
orchard II is desirable to have paying
crops that may be grown in the orchard, if
this can be done without injury TO the trees.
With the sentiments Of the paper as a whole,
he agreed yet he did not have such bitter
regrets for the loss Of the Delaware Fruit
Exchange; it had served a good purpose and
now we had miniature exchanges at all the
principal stations, with an increasing dispo-
sition on the part of merchants to procure
their supply of fruit near the orchards. He
thought that fertiliziug, good tillage, good
asserting, and faith in the business would
bring success.
Mr.. Corsa said, that though the fertility
asked for in the paper was higher than the
average, yet such fertile lands have been
planted with such success as he had observed,
as to make it in his opinion the point to be
aimed at; nevertheless members were ex-
pected to express their own convictions upon
this. and all other points of the paper. 1t
was written, not to gain the assent of all, but
to present as well as such short paper could,
the theory and practice of peach culture
which he msst approves The discussions
would be found of more value to members
than the paper, no doubt.
Rev. W, Richardson thought that the paper
should be made to read "forty bushels Of
corn" instead of sixty, as it was not desira-
bic to have even casual readers Of our doings
here to think we were only yisionaries. As
to tobacco culture, he hoped this Grange
would in no wise encourage the culture of
the weed, because Of the injury to humanity
that the tobacco habit produeesi he thought
definite conclusions ought to be formulated
u pom the points under discussion.
B. HYdorn would plant on ordinary ground,
and improve by iudicious manuring. He,
too, was net afraid of stable manure in the
peach orchard; he thought tomatoes the best
crop in its influence on the orchard-perhaps
one of the best to plow down; thought forty
bushels of corn a high average for the fer.
tility of our orchards, and implied that the
bulk of the peach crop was produced ON land
that would not average above half of this
grade.
J. H. Chapman thought the paper might
have said nothing about the fertility of the
soil; his experience with a block of trees
where sweet potatoes had been grown be-
tween them fYe successive years, because
the land had been very light and sandy, was
to pick from this block more rotten peaches
than frolA all the rest ofthe plantation. Then,
too, he had seen how Mr.. Rosa had by high
manuring, grown an orchard in six years to
lap its branches. across twenty feet spaces !;
yet this year saw his crop reduced by rot
from prospect of over 1000 baskets, to a
harvesting of scarcely 100 baskets-this plot
was made fertile, mainly, like the previous
one, after the trees were planted-and to his
mind the rotten peaches carried conviction
that to rapid increase of fertility after the
trees were set there was objection. This is
a section of naturally thin land, and he would
not advise whether 10, 10 or 80 bushels Of
corn should be the grade of fertility aimed
at He did not know any better way to sub
due piece of new, stumpy land than to set
to peach orchard and cultivate it well; when
the stumps are gone, you have full grown
orchard.
R. G. Smith and c. H. Sackett, both
thought that over-stimulated trees would
break worse than those of slower growth.
Mr., Sackett said that one of his best or
chards was where he could not grow ten
bushels of corn.
B. HYdorn asked if members would plant
plums budded on peach, and was answered
by the question, could members hope for
profit in the planting of plums at all ?"
]. H. Chapman asked "Is it advisable to
try on an old orchard to foster the growth
of shoots near the body" The hour was
late, and this question went over to the next
meeting.
The next meeting of Milford Grange will
be on Saturday afternoon, November 9th.