The Question Box. 3 



Answer. — Perfectly ripe. A mistake is made in picking- fruit 

 before it is ripe. I have kept well-ripened peaches a month in 

 cold storage. 



Question. — How do you assort your fruit? 



Answer. — Hand work is the best ; I hire girls to do it. They 

 have better and keener perception, a better eye and are more honest 

 than are men. 



Question. — Would you head your trees low or high ? 



Answer. — I. prefer low heads; but modern tools enable us to 

 work closely to a tree whether it is headed high or low. 



Question. — Should large limbs on trees be cut off ? 



Answer. — Not as a rule, but if they must be, do it in June 

 and then paint over with white lead and oil. 



Question. — What is the necessary pressure to have on a spray 

 pump ? 



Answer. — Don't allow it to get below 80 pounds, if you would 

 have a good spray. 



Question. — I have an orchard that is in a very healthy, thrifty 

 condition. It is 25 or 30 years old, but has never borne but two 

 crops of apples. What is the matter? 



Mr. Woodward.— There are many such cases recorded in this 

 State. I believe the condition is due to the way the trees were 

 propagated. Undoubtedly the roots were grafted with scions cut 

 from barren trees. The nurserymen are to blame for it all. 

 They ought to see to it that every root-graft is cut from strong, 

 healthy, yearly-bearing trees. I should not, if I were to set an 

 orchard next spring, buy a single tree of the varieties I wanted 

 to plant. I would buy Northern Spy or Ben Davis. Two years 

 later I would topwork them with the varieties I wanted, being 

 very careful to cut the scions from trees that fruited yearly. 

 Doubtless the original grafts in the orchard inquired about came 

 from unfruitful trees. If the orchard were mine, I would top- 

 work the same varieties, if I wanted them, on the trees, but would 

 be sure the grafts came from bearing trees. 



Question. — Does the stock in which a graft is set influence 

 the fruit that grows on it ? 



Mr. Woodward. — Not a particle. All the influence comes 

 through the leaf. The leaf also influences the root-growth of 

 the tree. I can distinguish a Bed Astrachan tree every time 

 by looking at the root; and it is said there are nurserymen who 

 can distinguish nearly every variety by its root-growth alone. 



A Farmer. — I once set some grafts of " Camiield " in Bed 



