Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 176, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1911 — Demonstration Orchards. [ARTICLE]

Demonstration Orchards.

The demonstration orchards of the horticultural department are proving more than a success. The work has been carried on In seven different representative orchards ranging 4n size from four to forty acres. All operation In these orchards are personally superintended by the department, so that exact data are kept on all spraying, pruning, fertilizing, cultivating and harvesting operations. In every orchard one row of trees Is left uncared for. so that comparisons may be drawn. When the fruit Is ripe In the tell a meeting Is advertised and the termers and fruit growers of the vicinity meet In the orchard and hear a discussion of the methods of handling. and see the results of the work. Hie demonstrations have shown that the value of the average orchard will be Increased from 86 to 95 per cent, when handled as well as possible under average farm conditions, and that this Increase may be realised at a cost of fifteen or twenty cants per tree.