9 



those 'shipped in. It is just as important in growing an orchard to 

 start with liealthy trees as it is to begin with healtliy parents in 

 raising a herd of cattle. Trees may be infested witli insects or tliey 

 may be unhealthy because of bad treatment or bad weather. The 

 sign of a healthy tree is clean bright bark and white w^ood. Many 

 young ti'ees are " black hearted," owing perhaps to winter injury 

 in nursery. Sucli trees' are not first class ; they should not be 

 planted. 



What to plantis a personal consideration. If one is going into 

 the business, then study the market, and plant such varieties as 

 experience has shown thrive well and sell well. A man may 

 plant what he bkes for his own use, and may also grow particularly 

 high grade types if he wifehes to cultivate a special trade. 



Windbreaks for the orchard are sometimes necessarv. The sub- 

 ject cannot be taken up at length here, but it should be studied by 

 the person who intends to plant an orchard. The windbreak is at 

 once an advantage and a detriment to an orchard. It lessens wind 

 falls by protecting the fruit from wind storms, but it may encourage 

 and harbor insects. It saves moisture by arresting drying winds, 

 but it may rob the orchard trees of food and soil moisture. Do tlie 

 benefits conferred outweigh the incident injuries ? We think so. 

 Do you ? The subject of orchard windbreaks is discussed in " Prin- 

 ciples of Fruit Growing," page 62. 



In our next lesson we will take up orchard management. 



14. — A j^^ff^nthig board may be used to 

 find the xHace of the tree. 



383 



