The National tribune., 1909-09-09
FRUIT-GRowENG IN THE SOUTH.
Pasturing Stock. Raising Chickens ana
LOv-Headed Trees.

Editor National Tribune: The. pastur-
ing of sheep. hogs and the raising c1
chickens and fow-headed trees. lhese
are questions of Importance to the f,tnt-
grower as we'll as the farmer. Ine
time has been. and is yet with some
people, when stock was not restrained
from running at large in the young ds
well as the old orchard. NOW we caii
notice another change. where al k'hus
of stock are excluded from inc OF
chards. However. the irult-Sie"Gio ~
have been watching this part OF the
business with a view 20 the profits OF
both fruit and stock raising. MOST Huss-
tionS have two sides, and this is one OF
them. 1t may be thought that he VINO
will allow any kind or stock III inc
orchard is not practlced tfuit grower.
The question of growing good truit at
the least cost is a practical question.
Then. the growing of low-headed trees
is another very important point To pc
Remembered for the high winds get
the topped trees every time, ior they
are slapped and pounded around Nnen
the loW-topped trees escape tile MOST oi
the whipping Low tops are not easily
blown down by high winds and scaideo
bv the hot winds and sun. Low-headed
trees is one good way TO fight the Hat
headed borer for the body OF the trees
are shaded and they don't like SHADE.
Then, harvesting the fru1t is easier;
After the trees come into bearing L
think the land should be seeded 10
clover, for there will be many W.nu-
falls that can be put on the market at
some price. and if the land Is cultivated
the fruit would have TO be washed, ana
you and your work would be worth
what you would get for the fruit Then,
as a rule, the hill land Is so liable TO
washing. In case the trees need any
protection, mulch with green clover
tyr. nd
as we'll 1t is not n very bad plan TO
pasture the orchard with sheep and
hogs, and the more chickens the better.
The chicken is the bug-eater, the hog
| the roots, and he charges nothing Tor
| the use of his nose, and the sheep are
the weed-eaters. Sheep may be turned
| in the orchard when they are hungry
and turned out when full. The hog
would be all right as long as he don't
bark the trees. The hog would do the
work for the coddling moth that is de-
lstroying so much of our finest fruits.
| 1t destroys bushels and bushels of ap-
pies, plums, peaches and pears every
lyear. If some fruit-grOwers would do
this there would be fatter hogs, without
corn, richer land without hauling man
lure, and no waste by washing fruits,
no less money and more good fruit.
| A great many farmers and fruit-
Igrowers make mistakes in fruit-groW-
ing by harvesting too many crops from
the same land, and then expect Il good
crop of fruit; hence disappointI:ients
and failures, and then the country is
said to be no good for fruit. II the
orchard must be cultivated, let it be
for a crop of fruit The fruit-growers
must be broad-minded and well-edu-
Gated men; they must know the chem
istry of the soil, the structure of plants.
their function and the science of plant
| life; then the insects that prey upon
our crops and the best method Of de-
| stroyng them Then they should know
the insects that are aiding us in our
work. In fact, there is no calling i'll all
| this broad land of ours that calls for
men of broader minds than tilling the
| soil. Remember. farmers and fruit
growers, that agriculture and horticul-
| ture will never rank as high as it
should until it is recognized as one of
the learned professions upon which de-
pends the prosperity of the world.--A.
! J. Bales, Birch Tree, Mo.