6o AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



PRACTICAL DE.MON'STRATION IN PRUNING FOR 

 SETTING, AND TRnmiNG TO SHAPE TREES. 



By Hon. Geo. T. Powell. 



The first tree which I take in my hands is a tree which I want 

 to condemn. I do not beHeve in what is known as the piece 

 root, — the root grafted tree. I do not hke it and you will see 

 the reason why. There is a very small quantity of very fine 

 roots upon that tree. While the tree is well grown otherwise, 

 it is really deficient in roots, and I would rather pay a much 

 liigher price for a seedling tree budded than for a piece-rooted 

 tree. But I shall proceed to prune this tree in the way it ought 

 to be pruned, and the object in pruning is to get more roots 

 upon it. It has a deficiency of root and never will make any 

 growth whatever until that root is pruned so as to get a large 

 quantity of roots upon it. When that tree is planted it will 

 b)egin to throw out a new system of roots at each cut which 

 has been made here. There is stored up in the roots of all trees 

 a material which is all prepared to go out and manufacture new 

 roots. This tree will make a good tree in time, though it will not 

 make a tree equal to a seedling. Just as soon as you make a de- 

 mand upon the nurserymen of our countr}' to supply you with 

 seedling trees, you will get them, and I would advise you to get 

 them and pay a little more for them because it is a better way of 

 propagating trees, in my judgment. Now I like a low headed 

 tree. I do not like this tree for the reason that there is a crotch 

 in it. The branches come out just opposite and by and by when 

 this gets to be a full grown tree with its system grown out on 

 both sides, the tree will split right down in the center and just 

 when it comes into its value you lose a valuable tree. I would 

 like the head of this tree to be cut down from 20 to 25 inches. 



In setting the tree I would set it about two inches lower than 

 the point where it is grafted. I believe in fairly deep setting of 

 trees where the soil has a good open drainage in the subsoil. 



