with light snow and rainfall followed, the twig on the surface would 

 be shriveled (dried out) and worthless; that stuck in the soil would 

 probably be shriveled at the tip and green toward the base ; while 

 ' the one which was buried in the ground would be plump and green 

 throughout. The branch had been separated from the parent stem 

 which supplied it with moisture. When placed in a dry atmosphere 

 it lust its sap by evaporation. "When this dryness passes a certain 

 point the contents of the plant's cells shrivel and the thing we call 

 life is lost. Now, there are parts of the country in which branches 

 of trees stuck in the ground will lose very little by evaporation. 



10. — Pldnting in squares. 



These localities are the coast climates of the south and east where 

 the atmosphere is moist. An apple tree when dug in the fall is not ' 

 strictly comparable to the branch because it is supplied with water- 

 absorbing organs (see Lesson 4, paragra})hs 1— i). Nevertheless, 

 there is a likeness. The tree is dormant and the root-hairs are not 

 formed in cold weather. Absorption is sluggish or quiescent, and 

 during periods of dry, windy, freezing weather in winter the tips 

 may shrivel and die. This is what often follows late fall planting. 

 Because of this possibility, should we avoid fall planting? Can we 

 not overcome this difficulty by planting early enough to allow the 



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