Cañon City record., 1911-01-05

While orchard management indi-
rectly constitutes the greater part of
our discussions here today before the
annual convention of the Stlte Board
of Horticulture and is in a way the
life work of most OF us. | shall say
only of the care and maintenance of
an orchard in its youth.
To grow a tree is much like the de-
velopment of business, and its fin
ancial success depends much upon the
same treatment To begin with the
tree must be good. The care of a busi-
ness must be thorough. and careful,
so must the care and cultivation of
tree. Fruit trees are the growers
tools and machinery by which he pro-
duces fruit. The very best are none
too good for the modern fruit grower
on our high priced lands for they rep
resent time. care and patience to
bring them TO a bearing age which
takes fair slice of a mans active
years. Thoro ughbred trees; trees of
the best blood: able to do the best
work and the most of 1t only are wor-
thy of our consideration. The fruit as
well as the tree must be eonsidered,
so, by their fruits ye shall know
them" With us Gano, Black Ben.
Jonathan, Rome Beauty. and possibly
Winesa1 and White Winter Pearmain
bring in dollars while some of the
fancy kinds such as Stayman Wine
sap and Delicious require fifteen years
of fun to bring in the dollars. II is a
singular fact that the dark bodied
trees are the harder.
After making n selection of the
best commercial trees we are anxious
TO get them into the ground usually !
whips arrive from the nursery usually |
in good condition. Now the secret in |
procuring a good stand Is in the |
handling which must be swift and |
careful. keeping the roots from ex-
posure. Place one or two inches deep |
er than in the nursery. putting roots
in natural position with prevailing |
roots and tops In the direction from !
which We receive most wind. After /
pruning all broken roots with slope |
position putting some damp fine earth |
around the roots. After partly filling |
the holes, raise the tree slightly with |
an upward and downward movement |
to settle the earth around the roots |
and give them a downward direction.
Follow Immediately with irrigation
water. afterward dust with fine dry
soil to conserve the moisture Now we
must shape our future orchard by
cutting back to the desired height
We usually head at eighteen to twenty
Inches; thus we balance the relation
between roots and tops as the roots
are usually rather weak to supply
enough nourishment afrer being re-
moved from the parent field. Our
trees should now make start with
very little loss.
Constant conservative cultivation
and irrigation and possibly a cover
crop for green mangrlng should bring
us to the first of August. We may ex-
perience some trouble with insects
and vermln through the summer
which can usually be destroyed with
the pr per appliance The first OF
August we should have our trees well
watered Then let them go dry to
harden for the coming freezing wealth
er. It is natural that there should be
drouth at this time OF the year and
we must obey only the dictates OF ma
ture. So many of our winter-killed
trees are direct result of late sum
mer irrigation. II our trees need wat
er give. to them after we have had a
good killing frost or after the leaves
have fallen. II does not iniure them as
II Is natural in most sections for the
ground to freeze to certain depth.
AS cold weather sets in. in most
losers from rodents. Blood or lime
sulfur wash will protect the trees
from rabbits
In Colorado the winters are usual
ly mild and outside OF plowing in the !
fall we should have no more serious
worry. Fall plowlng conssrves the
moisture of winter and by spring
downward movement OF water has
been induced rather than a lateral
movement. Each year should see the
burrows multiply so as to follow the
growth of the roots.
While we may have to plant re
place" trees we can select a thrifty
two-year tree which preserves uni