Show no PLANT ORCHARDS IN AUTUMN fruit growing should be looked upon as long longtime time business enterprise ter prise and exacting the nn unusually usually profi table alile returns that commercial growers rowers realized from their orchards last year coupled with the even greater returns that ILI appear to be certain this year undoubtedly will lead many to col consider isider seriously the advisability of setting in an orchard the writer ot of this article wishes neither to encourage nor discourage such plantings there il h occasion however for calling attention to several facts that have been established by experience the fir first st of 0 those is that fruit growing should be looted looked upon as a longtime long time business enterprise in addition to the original investment at the time of starting the orchard there Is a six to eight year period during which the grower not only has to wait for returns but when he must add con constantly scantly to his original investment through care de devoted vo ted to his trees the fruit grower Is fortu nate hate indeed whose orchard at bearing age does not represent an outlay at least twice as great as that represent ed by cost of land nursery stock and planting right after it has been planted in the second place Is an exacting business not only year after year but month after month the trees need attention in the way of cultivation ti spraying borer and rabbit protection etc this care must be given them continuously from the time of setting as long as the orchard lasts if profitable returns are to be expected any prospective grower who Is unwilling to provide this constant care Is to be advised to stay out of the orchard business for otherwise he is certain to have little but disappointment as a reward for his halfway half way efforts ill advised planting Is expensive for the individual and an injury to the industry those who are to plant orchards would do well to make all arrangements to plant in the fall rather than tn in the spring this means that the land should be thoroughly pip spared pared and the nursery stock ordered so that planting can start in late october fall set trees do much better under missouri conditions than trees planted in the spring there is a smaller amount of loss of trees and the growth of the first two seasons is larger and more vigorous furthermore it Is generally easier to obtain good grade nursery stock of the desired varieties than in the spring when supplies are more inore or less depleted the university of missouri college oi oz agriculture will be glad to make suggestions regarding varieties the choice of soils and locations and many other details connected with the business whenever this information Is requested by the prospective grower |