Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-12-16
SOME POINTERS ON
CARE OF ORCHARDS
Do Grant County Fruit Growers
Neglect Their Orchards?
Trees Need Careful Pruning and Spray
and Soil Should Be Frequently
Cultivated.

It is generally admitted that the
fruit growers. as class, represent
the best intelligence in their com
munity, said Professor E. P. Sand
stem of the college of agriculture, Uni
versity of Wisconsin, recently. If
we are to maintain the standard that
has been set by fruit growers in other
states, it behooves us to be up and
doing. I feel that there is need for
general awakening among our fruit
growers as to more rational methods
in the care of orchard fruits.
The old idea that an apple tree,
after it has once been planted, should
be able to care for itself and bring
forth an abundance of fruit, can no
longer be maintained, since such a
methods neither economical nor bust
ness like. Fruit trees Of whatever
kind or nature need as much, or more
care and attention throughout the
season, than any crop grown on the
farm
The orchard should be we'll
cultivated throughout the growing
season Immediately after it has been
set out and until about the middle
or last week Of July. Continued
cultivation at frequent intervals and
shortly after each rain, in order to
retain the moisture during the early
period will produce deep rooted trees.
Such trees will Withstand severe
drouth, and the roots will develop a
large feeding area.
"The object of pruning is primarily
to shape the trees to a desirable form
and TO remove superfuous wood, dead
and dying branches. As a rule fruit
growers are apt to do either too much
or too little pruning. If trees are
properly pruned and formed during
the first three or four years after
planting, little subsequent pruning
is necessary. [ recognize, of course,
the necessity of vigorous pruning in an
old orchard that has never been in
FtelligentIy cared for.
The numerous complaints of
fruit growers that spraying has not
helped their orchards, are due entire
ly to their failure to follow simple
directions. Spraying is different
from ordinary farm operations; every
detail must be attended to if success
is to be attained. The spraying
must be done before the pests have
made any considerable inroad upon
the trees, for it should be looked
upon more as d preventive than
remedy he fungus diseases and
insects are in great measure con-
trulled by the clean culture method,
which does not provide place where
insects may be harbOred in winter.
TT is a we'll known fact that the
fruit tree will set more fruit than it
is capable of supporting and bringing
to perfection. To aid nature in it's
work, growers should take away the
extra fruit. The vitality of the tree
is used up by the number of seeds it is
permitted to Tipen, not by the size of
the fru t. It is readily seen that by
removing some Of the fruit we con-
serve the fertility of the land, as we'll
as aid the tree to properly mature
the remaining fruit. A tree that has
thus been thiDned will bring forth
more fruit per bushel than other trees;
and beside this, the fruit from
/ thinned trees is superior in color,
size, and quality. Such thinning
should rot be done, however, until
the natural drop of the fruit is over. =