The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-03-26
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT. !.
4 Visit to the Famous Trees ~
Gran. ttltchinss.

cause he is one OF the men who has
done something The fame OF bis
low headed, sod mulched early bear
ing trees has been sounded far ana
near, and SO attractive to the average
man is the thought OF simply stick
ing little tree In hole In the sod,
piling a little. grass around it. and
then letting nature do the rest. until
at 1--WE or seven years 1t bears fruit,
both good to eat and pleasant to the
eyes" that the "Hitchings method.
has taken hold OF the people. and
many are following what they think
Is his plan. i have known Mr.. Hitch
ings and his location for number
OF years AL the time OF our last state
fair party OF us visited the farm,
and brief description may be inter
esting and helpful, says a writer In
the New York Tribune Farmer. ny
The trees are for the most part in
the hillsides, set in laid full of
springs, and taking the seepage from
the hills still further up. One way
the trees are set in Straight rows,
about 80 or 40 feet apart, according
TO the variety. The other way they
are set in the most favorable spots,
avoiding either bowlder or stump
for It was practically new land when
the trees were set~-or wherever. there
was 2 depression The trees ID set
showed plainly the benefit of the ex-
Ira moisture they were able to o.
tain. The older orchard has been Set
about Is years. There are a. few old
trees growing in the road near the
house said to be 100 years old. and
they are still vigorous and bearing
fruit, Yet they are far below the size
OF those 60 years old in the cultivated
orchards of Mr.. tIdell at Brockport,
which orchard | described iii Tie
Eribane Farmer acoaple OF years ago
There are about 1900 Of the l5-year-
old trees, and nearly 'or quitesas many
raora later settings, some which are
Just coming into bearing some OF
the latte. are on the level fai.d below
the house. In addition. there II \ d
planting Of some 5000 trees III the
adjoining hillsides owned BY Il c0ui4
pany. Mr.. Hitehfngs has the over
seeing of them, and owns an interest
IN one block. These have been started
and managed In the same general way
az Mr.. Hitehing's first setting, yet |
think the noncutivation will not be
50. closely adhered to- They We're 'iihe,
thrifty trees, from two TO four years
SET ! pieka,l a line northern Spy ffom
aSthree- ycar-old 4 ee.
( The trees h are slow-hehded, the
Branches starting tWq III three feet
from the ground. They afe nearly IS
large about the trunk and quite as
large as to top as the majority sof
trees OF like age. The lane is and has
been. in sod, mainly natural sfasses.
This has lie: !. CIT and piled about the
trees. In the earlier years alfalfa was
drawn in and put around them, a kind
OF ninlcNing few would have the grit
to do Very little pruning has been
done, and The trees are getting pret.t5
dense inside, although shapely. The
state, Experiment. s,s:iop has a btdsk
1 In the level land Ga which they IRE
comparing cultivated corn crops With
the sod nnichfmethod on like mum
her Of trees. 10 my surprise there
was very little difference between
them | shah watch this experiment
With interest to see what, tiie future
will develop. ssss'
The trees have come into bearings
from five to seven years OF aye, some
( yielding a bushel ot.,fruit at i've Tits
year many trees were picking from
five to 10 barrels each. For the most
part, the orchard has borne moderate
crops annually, The leading variety
is northern spy. These grow to per
lection here, as all can testify who
have seen them Oh exhibition alt the
state, fair. The Mcintosh 10 another
favorite, In addition there were
greetings, .Ionathans; beauty arid
other varieties less III number atid
Importance The Baldwin does not
develop here as II does on the n6st
Of New York state apple lands. r
The trees are thoroughly sprayed.
The lay or the land compels the ise
OF the hand pump. The apples we're
very free from codling moth, and were
sprayed with three pounds Of arssnats
Of lead and quarter pound of paris
green TO 50 gallons 81 bordeaux milf
ture. The low headed trees make
thorough spraying possible, a 3pt
mt to be overlooked. 'Iie has suiisaed
from The twig blight THE last war
r was Interested when he showed, us
The trunk 81 an Did Holland pipbin
tree, al the foot Ut TIE orchard, and
called our attention TO the blight tn
trees about Il ana nowhere else In
that orchard. fIc Said one noon they
had noticed thfs Did tree was jlightins.
Immediately after dinner it was cnt
down and the branches were burned,
but In spite OF this heroic treatment
arg in the short time INSECTS and the
wind had carried the spires ID the