The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-07-29
MISSOURI STUDIES
OUR METHODS

How western orchards look to a
Missouri apple man is set forth in a
paper delivered last winter at Colum-
bIa, Mo-, at the annual winter insti-
tute of the Missouri state board of
Horticulture, by L. ii. Todd, treasurer
Of the board. As part OF the cam
paign for smaller orchards and tetter
methds of management carried on by
the board Of horticulture, Mr.. Todd
had been directed to 60 to the apple
growing sections of the west and
northwest to study methods Of col.
tivation, pruning and sprsying, as
we'll as the picking, packing and mar
keting of the fruit.
Selections from his remarks follow !:
In the first place a single look at
the surroundings of the orchards
would lead to the conclusion that
they have been scientifically located.
The orchards occupy the small, fer.
tile valleys for the most part and
these are most always surrounded by
snow capped mountains.
What is called the bench land on
the mountain sides is generally the
best for fruit.
AS to methods of planting and
growing their fruits, 1t may be said
that some of the men have had expert.
ence in making tests OF methods and
varieties. In one block of trees 1t
was found that "a party had planted
eighty varieties In order to find out
which we're the best for that soil. 1t
will thus be seen that these people
set to work in earnest and lost no
time In preparing for the great work
before them.
Clean cultivation la their practice
and as rule all have adopted this
plan. However in a number Of places
1t was found, that they would have
to change their method because their
apples did not grow large enough. A
few parties In these sections we're
this year found to be experimenting
by growing red clover In the orchard,
moving 1t down and leaving it on
the land. In every one of these ex-
periments the fruit was found TO be
very fine. In one instance a tuyer
was along who bought the fruit which
had been treated In the manner men.
toned at dollar per box, delivered
at the station, and everything except
the rotten apples were taken.
There are very few large orchsrds,
the size generally ranging from five
to twenty acres. This seems to be
very small and insignificant to some
Of us 100 acre men in Missouri. But
1t Is safe to say that some of their Is
TO 20 acre orchards will produce more
In ten years than can be grown on
ours that are 10 to 25 times larger.
This may seem to be very strong
statement and will no doubt have to |
be explained. The explanation is
his First, they never set u tree oD
/ spot that Is unfavorable to fruit |
,rowing; second, every tree on an
icre is made to do Its work, and |
bird, they allow no tree b. grow that
loes not bear, and If they find one of |
his kind they cut the top off and graft
With some other variety that is
uccess.
When we plant an orchard we de.
tide on how much we want--l00, 150 !
,r 1000 acres--and proceed to set all |
II the entire area, every rod of 1t,
whether 1t is adapted to fruit grow
ng or not, when as matter of fact
,arts OF 1t may be too low, other
llaces have soil that makes wood
,rowth but not fruit, aud on still
'ther places we fail to get stand
rom some cause or other, and we are
pt to say, "Oh, we'll, have 500
ores and some of the trees will bear
ome time" In other words we have
he broad acre idea of apple growing,
'hioh is a sort of chit or miss"
ropositiou. Also we ara apt to con.
ole ourselves with the thought that
u "otf" years we can piece out on
Incomes by raising corn, wheat, hogs
nd cattle, aud so truit growing be-
mes secondary consideration.