The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-05-24

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had plenty of sun.
The next topic was the "Pruning
and Clearing Up the Orchard" Mr..
E. |. Crowell led with an instructive ac-
count of his experience; saying he had
had bad luck from bad management
and bad ground. He had planted his
orchard on hard pan. He considered
that different climates needed differ
ent treatments, but he was in favor of
light pruning and his idea was to let
the top spread out. He prunes the
small limbs and covers the sawed off
places with wax to protect from the
weather. This is made of equal parts
of coal tar and rosin. This mixture
will protect the young trees from the
rabbits too.
Don't set the trees too close to-
gether. If they are set too close to-
gether they need more pruning. be-
lieve there Is a lack of element in soil
to support trees after they begin to
bear, for our trees grow well until
that time. If the farm is kept in bad
shape there will always be trouble.
Keep an orchard cleaned up. Insects
harbor where it is not clean. Every
one in the county must help, for moth
ing can be done single handed against
these orchard pests, and there is great
necessity to make the war universal"
Mn F'pal tra
and insisted that he knew nothing Of
his subject, but proved before he fin
ished that he had given it great
deal of thought. He believes in prun.
ing but told Of his orchard where he
allowed thelower limbs to grow and the
fruit was eaten blythe pig and chickens.
Then he took off the lower limbs, but
thinks now the least trimming is the
better after the tree has been in fruit
several years. He doesn't believe in
sowing grain or alfalfa in the orchard
as it Injuries the fruit. He strongly
advocates wind break, as trees are
whipped to death by the winds, espec-
tally the varieties that have few side
roots. He believes in keeping the or.
chard clean, but objects to the pillow
and uses disk harrow, cutting down
the weeds and leaving them to mulch
its soil Then he told of a successful
horticulturist, State President of
the Society, who never cleaned or
pruned his orchard.
Rev. Shuey strongly advocates a
wind break. He cuts out any limbthat
is sickly any time of the year but ad-
vises people not to prune too much
nor to take the advice of too many
people citing Josh Billings as author
ity, who had nothing left but hitch
ing post after trimming his tree to suit
everyone.
Mr.. Pancoast was not in favor OF
much pruning he had seen, thought it
was an attack on life, but said il an
arm be diseased it should he cut of
and the same rule should apply to
pruning. He considered water sprouts
u yard square no benefit TO a tree.
but considered shade, in moderation,
good especially when the big limbs
shade the ground. To cut of the ends
would'make the tree bear more fruit
but it was bad to cut of big limbs
In cleaning he uses concentrated I've
10 wash the trees. 1t takes OIL the
dead bark, lichens, insects, etc. He
also advises spraying with sulphate
of copper TO prevent rot.
as the tree agent help to Horti-
culture?" was the last topic for dis
cussion and was ably handled by Mr.
Stuttgart and Mr.. Johnson whoproved
conclusively that agents are "a benefit
to mankind if they were honest aud
truthful, as they could pack the tree S
and deliver them in better shape and
show how they should be planted and
cared for. Mr.. Crowel was sure the
agent developed the icountrylby so in
sisting upon people buying that they
bought to get rid of the agents and
then they had to plant the trees. Mr..
Pancoast sain in planting one should
dig holes or plough furrow. Put u
quart of water in, stir roots until they
were covered with mud, then put in
fine dirt and gently lift the tree so the
fine roots would be in natural posi-
ton, then pound or pack dirt firmly
about the roots and ill the hole up
covering it with mulching of manure
on top of the ground.
This is the time of year to spray
the trees" and good formula was
read.
The society then discussed sending
an exhibit of Allen county fruit TO
Buffalo as the state is not to be repre-
scented. A committee is to be APP
pointed TO take up subscription and
make financial arrangements for for
warding the fruit
DR.. Wakefield of Humboldt extended
an ipvitation tn the SopiptV In meet