and our apples, but we have not reached the conclusion that our
methods in any way guarantee us a crop of apples, although in ten years,
or since the orchard came into bearing, we have never had a season that
we did not have a fair crop of apples. In 1913 we sold seven carloads,
in 1914 four carloads, in 1915 five carloads, and the trees as far as
they are concerned promise us a fair crop for 1916. We are working as
though this is assured, but in the final analysis it is up to the
weather man.

A Member: I would like to ask Mr. Simmons in regard to his wiring. We
are raising our trees in the same manner, the open-headed trees, and I
wanted to ask him where the central ring is placed, in the crotch of the
tree or where?

Mr. Simmons: The ring is suspended by the wires in the center of the
tree. It makes an excellent arrangement. You can stand on that wire and
gather the apples from the topmost limbs of the trees. The screw-eyes
should be put in at what might be termed the center of effort or pull,
when the limb is heavily loaded. If not put in high enough, it causes a
rather too acute angle where the screw-eye is inserted and the limb is
likely to break.

A Member: We had considerable difficulty with broken branches.

Mr. Ludlow: Are the rings put on the outside or the inside of the trees?

Mr. Simmons: On the inside, so that the screw eyes all point towards the
center of the tree. After three or four years you can't see the screw
eye, it grows right into the tree.

Mr. Ludlow: I want to ask if you recommend the bamboo poles for general
propping of trees?

Mr. Simmons: Yes, sir; most emphatically I would. It is the best and
most economical prop you can use. Of course, it is the general opinion
among expert fruit growers that the crop should never be too heavy for
the tree. The bamboo prop is the best we found. With reasonable care,
bamboo poles will outlast common lumber.

It is the general opinion among expert fruit growers that the tree
should carry all fruit possible, but should not be permitted to be
loaded so heavy as to need propping.

Mr. Dyer: I have an orchard of 70 acres and it would take a great many
bamboo poles to prop that orchard. I use pieces of board, various
lengths, 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick, of various lengths. I get them
14 to 16 feet long and sometimes I cut them in two. My trees are large,
twenty-five and thirty and thirty-five years old, and that has been my
most successful materia