Fruits and Culture. 369 



HOW TO GROW APPLE AND PEACH TREES. 



Prof. W. L. Howard, of the Missouri State x'VgricuItural College, 

 one of the Greene county young men who has won honors at Colum- 

 bia, has been doing good service as one of the lecturers at the Farm- 

 ers' Institutes in this State. At the recent institute at Chapin he 

 explained "How to Grow Budded Apples and Peaches With no Out- 

 lay." He said in part : 



"Plant the seed in' a box in a layer of sand about one inch deep, 

 then cover about one inch and set on the north side of a building, 

 where the rain will keep the moisture. This, with the action of freez- 

 ing, helps germinate the seed. This should be done in the fall. In 

 planting in spring put the seed in a rich garden soil, deeply plowed 

 and well prepared. Seeds should be one to two inches apart. Thor- 

 oughly cultivate through the season, dig in the fall, before the ground 

 freezes and keep in green sawdust, oak being the best. The root in 

 which the graft is put is called the stock, the graft is the scion. Stock 

 should be put in bunches and packed in sand until February. 



Select from desirable trees the different varieties you want and 

 cut the graft or scion at the ring of last season's growth. 



In the process of grafting use only a sharp knife and in cutting 

 stock or root make a smooth cut of about an inch slant. Where you 

 have just cut split the root down and with scion repeat. Both root 

 and scion must be even on one side, as there is where the union takes 

 place. Bind with light string four or five times. This is what is 

 called root graft. Do it in February and store in sawdust in bunches 

 of about fifty where they will not be shaken or disturbed. Take up 

 carefully and plant in well prepared ground about garden time and 

 plow deep and possibly subsoil. Harrow well, line up rows with a 

 string and mark with a sharp stick. Put them in straight rows six 

 to eight inches apart and cultivate well. When one or two years old, 

 two years old preferred, set out in rows about 25 feet apart. Cut 

 roots to six inches in length, all but tap root. Cut top one year old 

 trees back. On trees two years old leave a leader, for it will have 

 branches. Head tree to suit anywhere from twelve to eighteen inches 

 from the ground and trim branches from within two inches from the 

 trunk. If it should fork cut out one fork, as when older and heavy 

 with fruit it will split, After planting cultivate as you would farirs 



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