Summer Meeting. ~ 131 



The time to head is in the spring of the second year, when the twigs 

 are tender, so the bark will not peal off. Strip the lower twigs as high 

 up as the head should be. The nurserymen will have to head trees from 

 1 8 inches to 3 1-2 feet high, to please their customers, but the best height 

 to head is 18 or 20 inches from the rjround. Don't be deceived about 

 whole root grafts, for nurserymen do not sell such trees. From 75 to 95 

 per cent, of these grafts, if planted in good, rich loam, well drained, and 

 with good care and cultivation, should make a growth of from 3 to 4 

 feet the first year. 



In selecting varieties of fruit for an orchard, you must consider 

 the commercial, canning and evaporating values, or whether they are 

 wanted for family use or home market. It will probably be better, after 

 these few general remarks, to take each fruit separately, so we will first 

 take up the apple. 



Only first-class, well-rooted, and evenly-headed 2-year-old plants 

 should be used. In selecting a site for a commercial orchard, you should 

 consider the location in regard to market, to land and air drainage, and 

 also soil and subsoil ; for the first-class orchard lands of the United 

 States are somewhat limited. The best soil is a black, sandy loam, red 

 soil, or loess. The best subsoil is gravelly, loess, clay shale, or red lime- 

 stone. Land should be high in regard to the surrounding country, 

 so cold air will drain off ; and it should be somewhat rolling, so the 

 water will drain well. The orchard should be close to a railroad, with 

 direct transit to market, and varieties should be selected to suit the market. 



In preparing land, new land should be plowed in the fall or winter, 

 and well pulverized; old land should be plowed with a subsoiler and 

 sowed to peas the year before planting. But I think, rather than wait 

 a year to enrich the land, it would be better to plant the trees and then 

 fertilize with peas. On hill land plant them 25 feet apart each way, and 

 on valley land, 27 feet apart, then fill in with "Missouri Pippins/' cut- 

 ting the "Pippins" out when the trees get too large. 



As you set out the trees, prune them to match the roots, and have 

 the tops as near the shape of a cone as possible. Plant the trees about 

 one inch deeper than they stood in the nursery, throw some loose dirt 

 around the roots, and move the trees so the dirt will settle around them 

 well, then tramp firmly. In pruning your apple trees, always leave some 

 young wood and cut out all interfering limbs ; "have a reason for every 

 cut you make." Do not cut half of the limbs from a tree, for there have 

 been about as many young orchards ruined by pruning as the insects 

 have destroyed. Prune old trees to produce new growth, and new 

 groth will produce more fruit and better quality. Prune large limbs 3 

 or 4 years old, but prune only one-half the first year, taking 2 years, 

 so it won't be too severe on the tree. 



