The Green Forest tribune., 1903-03-14
HOW TOGROW AN ORCHARD.
Light Upon the Subject from an Experienced Fruit Man.

At the late meeting of the state horticultural society in Green Forest the following paper on the subject of growing and caring for an orchard was read by Capt. G. T. Lincoln of Benton county:
 To begin with, there are four points that, from my limited ex- perience, l consider a positive necessity; without either, suc- cess in apple growing is doubt ful: Pruning, cultivating, spray ing and fertilizing. Buy the best trees, prune young when ycu set them and twice each year thereafter, June and Octo- Der. If ground is thin plow early and continue to cultivate until June 1st to 10th, then drill COW peas in rows three feet apart, cultivate so as to keep clean. As soon as they begin to ripen have young hogs gather them. Keep clean around the trees with hoe.
 To guard against all pests 1 prefer the wood wrapper, 8x16 inches, and let them remain for three years. Examine them at each pruning to see that they are in proper condition. For the following four years after the crop of peas, drill corn in rows 4 1-2 feet apart using. 150 pounds of fertilizer per acre. Cultivate corn well up to June, then drill COW peas between the corn rows. In cultivating corn you cultivate peas. After corn is gathered hog down.
 Each following year drill corn in rows where peas grew and peas where corn grew. Continue fertilizer each year. By the time your trees are five years old your land is rich. The sixth year SOW peas broadcast to leave your ground in good fix to receive clover seed, which I would harrow in during February or March at the latest, and if you want healthy trees spraying should begin at three and not later than four years old. And if the canker worm is troublesome use more paris green in the spray. The cause of canker worm is too little poison. When the clover comes on be sure you let no weeds or grass get over 20 inches high. Keep it moved two, three or four times in a season if necessary, and don't steal the clover from the trees even if it is good. Let 1t remain on the ground; it keeps the moisture near the surface and the ground don't get baked. Once more, it is hard to cut every blade of grass and clover with the machine, but take scythe and cut what the machine can't reach and don't allow your or chard to look ragged.
 The second fall after sowing the clover cultivate your ground thoroughly with a disk or spring NaQth harrow, prefer the harrow. xAliis is to be done after apples Ire gathered. Now, by scatter zEng g. few clover seed the follow Bing winter your orchard will be Itset again to clover. Fertilize all you can. Clean up all your feed l5ts, also hog refuse, such as cobs that have been tramped over; they are fine. The body of the trees should be washed at least every alternate March. l find strong soap suds good, rub ping on with a stiff brush. l have now barrel of the Messick tree wash that l think we'll of; will use it in March. 1 also have used 8 tons of Messick tree fer tilizer; will report on them at some future date.
 Gentlemen, this is what l have gathered from my short exper- fence. All who have seen my or aards, will testify that l have succeeded in growing fine lot of healthy, vigorous trees; have not had much fruit, but if you get good, strong, healthy, we'll balanced tree the fruit will come. Have no fears on that score. Hut trees must be fed-root, sbark and leaves.
 NIL, d