The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-10
OF ORCHARDS And HOGS
State Horticultural Society
Has an Interesting Meeting.
Queries From the Question Box
Elicit Various Replies.
"swine Raising Doesn't Kurt the
Orchard if You Keep She Hogs
Out'-Other Subjects.

A part Of the session of yesterday
afternoon Of the State Horticultural so
ciety's meeting was devoted to the
question box.
Whoever chooses is invited to send in
a question to be answered by discus
sion in the society. 1t was the original
plan to allow but one man to talk on
each question but SO many were found
who wanted to talk that the barrier
was removed.
The first question that rolled out of
the box was: rs moist land the best
suited to orchard permanence2' and
Judge Fred Wellhouse, president Of the
society, spoke ON it. He said:
wet ground is preferable for an or
chard if it is not too wet. A great
many trees in this country, particularly
in the north. are damaged by dry
weather in winter When q tree goes
into its winter quarters and it is a dry
winter it almost ruins it. We want
the tree full of sap and the ground
fun Of moisture. "A moderate amount
of moisture is always preferable. 1t
has been said that a full grown, full
bearing fruit tree demands $50 gallons
Of water daily. If that is true, every
orchard should have 80 or 60 inches of
water during the bearing season to
keep the trees supplied. We have no
climate in this apple belt that VIII sup
ply that and the trees have consequent
~ adapted themselves to less.
The next question was, Does swine
raising impair orchards?' and J. w
Robinson of Butler county responded
to it. He said;
Swine raising doesn't hurt an or
chard if you keep the hogs out of it.
Laughter)
Mr. Robinson is called the corn king
of Kansas. He has 3 600 acres in corn
this year and 1000 in alfalfa.
IF the hogs rub against q tree" he
continued, 1T is bound to hurt, be
cause it closes the pores Of the tree AID
stops its growth, just as grease would
I remember one time i took the advice
of the annual item that was going
around i'm the newspapers about how
axle grease and hog lard would kill
rabbits. I tried it, and believe it
viii kill as many trees as rabbits, for
there was a perfect ring where the
grease was and the growth was stop
ped there. And then, If the hogs pack
the ground. as hogs do. it will shut off
the air from the ground and from the
roots of the trees Hogs might be let
in for a short time to eat up the Wormy
apples. but not for long Small pigs
viii not hurt at any time"
Il. "a. Stanley Of Osawatomie-I'v
had some experience in the hog-apple
business. and [ believe it is a benefit
to certain orchards to let hogs in. L
tried it on an old orchard 1 built
fence about it after it had quit bear
ing and let the hOgs run in it for
year. The trees took on a new growth
from il and bore for several years
after I turned the hogs out. find
that hogs don't rub against the trees
unless they are lousy, and another
thing. they eat the young and WorIny
apples, worm and all, and kill off, as
you might say, in that way the worm
industry.
Edwin Taylor went at hog and ap-
pie raising one time from precOnce1Ved
notions gathered from newspapers and
farm publications, intending to raise
hogs and apples cOntemporaneously
fenced my orchard ia and turned in
the hogs I was so disappointed with
the experiment that tore down the
fence I don't know whether my hogs
were lousy or not. I didn't comb them
to see. but they rubbed just the same,
and they didn't eat the wormy apples
either.
Another question was. Wanted, the
opinion of the society on the merit Of
close root and top pruning
The question was asked by George
NJ Munger Of Eureka, the millionaire
laundryman of Chicago and elsewhere
about whom there was SO much gossip
in connection with the Kansas senator
ship some time ago.
Several people entered the discussion
for short talks. maintaining that close
pruning. top and root, was the proper
thing for young tree in transplant
ing.
DR. J. Stayman of Leavenworth,
whose hair has grown White in the or
chard business, objected and said;
In 1860. a very dry year, ] set out
100. goo trees. pruning close top ana
root and lost 80 per cent of them. Some
that 1 set in exactly similar ground
the same year without pruning thrved.
That's Why oppose pruning. though
have been abused for it. It is very
simple. When YOU prune at the top
Won ont off the very bud that is start
ing to grow and the tree has to stop
and start new bud
VIM Cutter Of Junction City, say
that YOU must prune young peach
trees or YOU will lose them every time,
and where trees are shipped some dis
lance. say a two year tree. and the
roots are maugled, they are worse than
no root at am and should be cut off by
an means and the tree left about two
and one-half feet high.
G. Bohrer of Rice county-It is abso-
lutely necessary to trim the roots II
they are damaged and it is necessary
ia that instance to trim the top. too.
to balance the tree. and furthermore
il sanllld be nlanted to lean q. little to