The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-12-22

architect. Nature is the best archi-
tect. Only those who delve deep be-
meath the surface can understand
Natures workings. A child is sat
isfied with the apple grown along
the hedges, but the towns are be-
coming more cultured There is
constant demand for fancy fruit
Prices have advanced and the de-
mand has increased. In different
parts of the State there are thrifty
looking farms, but scattered over the
farms are isolated apple trees dying
of neglect and starvation. Pruning
is the prime factor in building up an
orchard. The tree responds under
the skilled orchardist. He must un-
derstand the tree"
DR.. Funk also discussed peach
and pear pruning. He said for a
peach tree to obtain a strong and
vigorous growth it must be properly
pruned. 1--WE must know where the
roots come from when we plant the
tree" he continued. There are two
kinds of pruning-root and limb
pruning. In the latter, three meth
DDS are practised: Strungfellow,
which is single stem, another prun-
ing three inches back and still an
other from eight to ten inches off.
AS a result of an experiment of the
three different kinds of pruning it
has been demonstrated that the
three-inch pruned roots produced
the best results. The StrungfeiNow
method on moist land gives good re-
suits, while on dry land it is a sure
failure. The climatic condition
m n u N 6iffnrnnnn cly h q =
age apple tree to plant. One year
from the bud. 1t is worth triple what
other trees cost.
"Never put cereal crop in an
orchard. Plant potatoes. They will
pay for the crop and serve as fer
tilizer besides" DR.. Funk explained
how to prune young trees to produce
uniformity and give the best results.
growth. That is very important.
Take the Yellow Transparent for in
stance. Prune to spread it, so that
sunshine and air can get in to ripen
the fruit. To do this cut back the
leader bud, the under branches will
then spread out and under. The hor-
ticulturist is the proudest man we
have. He uses muscle and brain in
his work, with the aid of the knife,
one of the most wonderful and in
strumental tools on the farms, the
trees are trained to grow in almost
every conceivable shape. You can
straighten a crooked sapling by max
ing an inciSion about a sixteenth of
an inch in the bark on the opposite
side of the crooked part. This causes
the sap to flow to the injured part
and builds up the tree. You can
straighten any tree in this method,
care being taken not to go too deep,
THERE is NO OFF YEAR IN
FRUIT. You may not agree with
me when l say this, but nevertheless
it is a fact. If there is, it Is your
own fault. Reproduction is the law
of nature. If you do not have crop
every year it is due to lack of fer
| tilization or over production. Large
crops take all the vitality out of a
tree. If tree bears heavily one sea-
son the next season the buds will re-
main as leaves, because there is not
enough vitality in the tree to bear
fruit. All buds are first leaf buds,
afterwards they become fruit buds.
How can you avoid it? By thin
ming. If l had to stop thinning
peaches 1 would stop raising peach
es," emphatically asserted DR.. Funk.
when and what time shall we
prune? Prune when necessary.
Never prune without an object. First
prune for wood development either
in late fall or early spring. Prune in
June for checking wood growth.
That will throw the sap into the leaf
and fruit buds. Place wire around
the tree, but be careful that it does
not cut the bark. The sap then
goes up the new wood beneath to the
leaves and converts the leaf buds in
to fruit buds. Keep thinning your
fruit every year. | can't understand
why the farmer thinks the farm does
not need fertilization. You rob your
orchard by planting cereals in it
Trees in my orchard, which is con-
sidered a model orchard, were plant
ed during 1906, 1907 and 1908
Some of them bore as high as 80
bushels of apples last season. Some
say the Northern Spy will not beal
under Is years. say it can be
made to bear in seven or eight
years" DR.. Funk stated that com
mercial fertilizer was used chiefly
upon his orchard.
DR.. M. e. Conrad was the thirC
anu ieloC AhoLl uNIOl VI LhC oAbCA nun
session. He spoke at length on the
comforts of the COW, laying specia
stress upon the sanity and ventila
tion of the stable. He exhorted his
} audience to look after the comfor
of the cow, especially a good com
Portable place to live in Keep you
barns from being dark, dirty, eolC
and drafty. This is vitally importan
for a dairy COW. Let the sun shin,
in. Tear out a section of the wal
and place a few rows of windows il
groups of two or three and ventilat
| froIn the top by slanting the win
dows. 1t is sanitary and right. Th
ceilings should be made tight. Keel
the dust out of the air, The dus
, germs ride upon the particles of dust
I If the ceiling is constructed so as t,
allow the dust to sift through tn
} germs will eventually get into tn
milk. Whitewash your stables
Earth floors are bad enough, woodel
3 ones are worse. By the proper con
| struction of the floor the odor can b
) eliminated. A board floor can b
IronF eoDftory urhfIa oamanf dOnr 4