The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-04-14
MIssoURI FRuIr ExHIpIT.
Preparation Needed 90 Secure
Good Fruits for the
Worlds Fair.

II will soon be time 10 begin work
on our trees, vines, or plants, If we
expect to secure any extraordinary
specimens for exhibition this sum-
mer.
L. The trees or plants on which
the commercial fertilizer was used
last spring will need early culhva-
ton and strrIng of the soil SO that
the air can act upon both soil and
fertilizer and prepare the material
tor plant growth. The air IS the
best and cheapest fertilizer we can
get, and we secure this fertilizer
whenever we cultivate or arate the
soil. Frequent cultivation therefore
gives the plants the most fertilizer.
}. Prune the tree, vine or plant
so that there will not be too much
nor too little growth, then there will
not be too much sunlight admitted
so as to burn the fruit, nor too little
so as to cause the fruit to lose color.
Prune in the second place 50 as 10
thin out the fruit buds, giving the
plants only moderate load TO carry
and thus secure very large sPeci
mems, whether they be apples, cher
mes. peaches, grapes or berries.
3. Spray the trees, vines OF
plants before they leaf out with eth
er the liquid or dust spray. Guilt
waite, prune and spray now si any
time the weather will permit. Do
all these wen and thoroughly. and
then repeat the spraying after bloom
ing time and again two weeks later
and the fourth time stll two weeks
later.
8. Thin the fruit. Thin il sys-
temasieaIly and inteIigently so that
the fruit shall be well scattered over
the tree, vine or plant, giving each
fruit plenty OF room for full devel-
opment Every special tree or
plan, from which we expect to Sc
cure Worlds Fair fruits should be
gwen special attention m all these
details, II we are TO succeed n grow
ing any extraordinary specimens.
The four foundation principles OF
good fruits are Cultivation. Pruning
Spraying and Thinning. On these
fou' principles hang all the law aud
profits of fruit growing. Thin sp-
Piles to 10 inches apart. pears aud
peaches to 6 inches apart. cherry
clusters n 5 inches apar,, plums 10
4 inches apart. grapes to single
hunches on branch unless you
wish to secure vine iull OF clusters.
Thin strawberries TO three stalks for
each plant anJ three berries 20 each
stem, raspbergies and blsekberries
to single clusters TO each lateral and
three to five berries 10 each cluster.
reducing the lalsrals to one-third
the usual number. except where
clusters are wanted. Currsnis aad
goosehsrries need al least three.
lour,hs OF the irui, removed. Mulch
ing is a very great help, indeed, in
abe perfection OF these small fruits,
giving an opportunity for watering.
II need be,
To secure extraordinary specimens
Of al the tree fruits, girdle the trees
OF branches about June ~, taking
ou, a ring o, bark. one or two ineh-
es wide entirely around the tree OF
branch. For The gSspe, twis, the
vine, o. tie a wire tightly about iSi
and for the ouuant and goosebeny
DO the same, The raspberry and
blackberry can best be increased in
size by thinning thoroughly. Il shi'
Guiding OF the trees or branches {,
done, j, will check the wood growth
and causes the fruits to develops to
large siEe.
We should have a Characteristic
aod a complete exhibition Of each
and an our fruits, as they riPsn, 40,
lthis will be our aim and our ambi.