very fine; practically all of the crab apples that are grown in the northern part of the state, the Peerless, the Dudley, Russett, Malinda and a few others. In all, I presume there were probably thirty-five varieties.

ORCHARD TILLAGE SESSION.

"Topic.

"Shall we advise clean cultivation until July 15th to be followed by cover crops for young orchards (five acres or more), or may we consistently recommend a system of cropping for five to ten years after planting? If the latter, what crops, what rotation, how many years may crops be grown, and what portion of the land may be cropped?"

PROF. J. G. MOORE.

Orchards of five acres or more are commercial plantations so that our question refers to handling a commercial orchard. As the apple is the chief fruit in this state, it also presumably applies to apple orchards. Two points immediately arise in considering the question: the result on the trees, and the cost of bringing the orchard up to the producing period. From the stand point of the trec alone, I believe that a system of cultivation with cover crops most advisable for the welfare of the orchard unless great care is exercised in the cropping. It is also essential that an amount of plant food equivalent to that removed by the crop be returned to the orchard soils.

The bringing of the orchard from planting to fruiting as economically as possible, will in the majority of instances, practically preclude the clean culture-cover crop system up to the time at which the orchard begins to give returns from the fruit produced. The question then resolves itself into "What is the best practice in the cropping of a young commercial orchard?'' The length of time during which a young orchard may be cropped successfully, which means without injury to the trees, cannot be definitely stated. It will depend primarily upon the age at which the trees come into bearing. I believe it to be a mistake to grow other than fruit crops in the orchard after it has reached the bearing period. It will be seen that the length of

time for which the orcharding will be cropped will then be much less in cases where early bearing sorts as Transparent and Duchess are used, than it will where the orchard is composed primarily of later bearing sorts like Northwestern Greening.

No small grain crops are permissible in the orchard at any period of its existence, if they are to be used for other than cover crops. The choice of crops to grow in the orchard will therefore rest between the cultivated field crops, small fruits and vegetables. The latter as a rule may be passed over without consideration. Practically all the small fruits can be grown successfully between the rows of trees in the orchard. With the field crops, potatoes, beans and possibly corn, and tomatoes when grown as a field crop rather than a garden crop, will comprise very largely the list which is permissible. The least desirable of these in the orchard is corn, the height which it attains in many instances gives too much shade, particularly if planted close to the rows, and also restricts the free circulation of air through the orchard. Good air circulation is very important as a means of keeping in check various diseases which attack the trees.

The rotation of crops in cropping the orchard is not of extreme importance especially if the practice of returning the plant food by the use of fertilizers is followed. The orchard should be cropped only for a few years at most, and the evil effects experienced in the ordinary length of time would be small. However, both from the standpoint of effect upon the orchard soil, and the return from the crop, rotation is doubtless advisable.

Personally, I believe a rotation where potatoes and beans are used is as satisfactory as any. The usual length of time for cropping an orchard of the early bearing sorts usually grown in Wisconsin should not exceed three to four years where two to three year old stock is set. For a three year rotation, potatoes, beans, early potatoes would be a good combination. Follow the first crop of potatoes with a liberal application of barnyard manure. The crop of beans may be followed by commercial fertilizers in which potash and phosphoric acid largely predominates. The early potatoes should be dug as early as possible, and then a cover crop of rye or other hardy covers should be sown. The object of the cover is to protect the soil and furnish vegetable matter to be incorporated into the soil the following spring.

In a four year rotation, beans would replace potatoes as the first crop grown. In a longer period of cropping, corn might be used advantageously providing it was kept considerable distance from the trees.

The question of the portion of land which may be used in orchard cropping is one which is open to various opinions. It will depend first, upon the distance between the trees, and second, upon the age of the orchard. Personally, I would prefer leaving a strip in a newly planted orchard of from three to four feet which would be devoted entirely to the growth of the trees. As the size of the trees increased from year to year, this space would be gradually increased. At all times it would be advisable to give to the trees all of the soil through which the roots permeated, and use only that unoccupied by the trees for the crop which is to be removed. The mistake is too often made of growing other crops too close to the trees resulting in injury to the tree which oftentimes is not merely temporary but permanent.

DR. T. E. LOOPE.

If we assume an ideal location, an ideal climate and an ideal condition of soil found in a few irrigation districts, with the five acres or more to be depended on when fully developed for a livelihood then if the pocket be well filled with shining golden eagles we should cultivate exclusively allowing neither weed, grass or other crop to grow. However I have presupposed that the problem given above related solely to Wisconsin, that the person planting the "5 acres or more" was not wholly a horticulturist and was not depending entirely for the support of himself and family upon the proceeds of this small orchard.

My idea was that it applied to the farmer who had other acres to till and that this orchard was to supplement his income and provide fruit for his family and it should supply not only fruit but enthusiasm, interest and joy while growing and delight in its beauty and fruitfulness.

Again it might be a horticulturist who had an additional 5 acres not utilized and who being a horticulturist had a surplus of enthusiasm, so much so that when he decided to plant the orchard could already, with that eye of faith so common among the cult, see the growing trees the later blossoms and lastly im

agine that he was harvesting a phenomenal crop of beautiful fragrant luscious apples and I believe he even felt in his pocket for that bag of golden eagles, so vivid is the imagination of this class of people. I know for I have been there.

I would set my 5 acres of trees 20x20 or 24x24 feet apart on a suitable location-good soil well prepared. I would cultivate until July, 15th, the first year without crop of any kind, afterwards sowing to oats or rye for a cover crop. The next year I might put in three rows of potatoes, or three rows of strawberries or a similar amount of beans or any root crop but not corn.

The following year I would put in hoed crops as before, in the meantime keeping all weeds, grass or foul stuff away from the space not occupied by the crop, rotating from potatoes to another kind of crop; if strawberries plowing them up the second year, always trying some cover crop. This I would do until the 7th or 8th year when I would seed to clover, letting that remain two years then clean cultivation the next and probably the second year-then clover again and the same rotation.

With this five acres it would be likely the horticulturist to imagine that having taken care of it for six years, he could begin to get rich returns for his previous care and hard labor. He would begin to estimate the yield of fruit at 1 bushel per tree and put the price at $1.00 per bushel. At 10 years he would estimate a barrel per tree at $3.00 per bbl. and then some. Such estimates constitutes the riches of these men. He forgets that seasons vary and most trees bear only every 2nd year. That codling moth, curculic, hailstorms and strong winds come for the purpose of keeping him to the simple life and that, unless he plants the right varieties the trees grow and grow and “never do anything else."

If he is an ordinary farmer before the trees are three years old a large per cent of them will have great wounds where the whiffle trees have torn off a map of Panama cr they will have been run over with a harrow or the blue grass sod has run in around the trees. Perhaps he will neglect to spray or prune and the fruit will be unmarketable. When his trees are 10 years old perhaps hogs bear a good price or his cows give him enough profit to pay taxes and still live economically and the whole plat is given over to pasture. He wonders when the trees die and grow gnarled and the scale attacks them and the worms eat then. up and the fruit corresponds, why is it? Don't tell me this

is overdrawn for the half has not been told as you may observe as you passed through the country. "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." So even at the worst it is better to have planted trees that die by slow torture than not to have planted any, for some day, some time, your descendants will absorb from nature the divine soul of some former horticulturist and will grow beautiful healthy trees and red, red apples as enticing as the girl's cheek he loves.

In the spring he will eagerly watch for the first bursting greenness of the leaves and will be uplifted with ecstasy at the first gleam of crimson that tells of the blossom. In the fairyland of the full bloom he will alore with raised hands, eyes and heart the great bounteous and boundless gifts of prodigal nature.

So plant apple trees, Farmer, and forget to crucify them in your cultivation. Forget to turn the hogs in when they get older. Try to be loving and careful of their welfare and some day in spring go out in the middle of that 5 acres and gaze at their loveliness. Listen to the music of the bees and the happy song of the birds and be glad that there is a heaven and and that you have 5 acres of it right here. Plant your "5 acres or more" horticulturist and when you are in the fairyland of blossom or

full fruitage you won't need an aeroplane to raise you to such heights that breathing is almost suspended at the vision of beauty you have helped to create.

I know for I have been there.

W. S. HAGER.

I have always practiced cultivating and growing a crop between the trees. I have used almost every kind of hoed crop, even strawberries. I think I like beans the best, as they enrich the soil and do not shade, and are not so deep rooted as to absorb moisture, that in a dry season should go to the tree.

I think the most convenient crop to cultivate, that I ever used, was squashes, planted two hills between the trees one way, leaving a full row clear the other way, most of the cultivating may be done this way with two horses and a spring tooth harrow, and one horse may be used the other way.

This method I consider nearly as cheap as clean cultivation.