418 BOARD OF AGKIOULTUEE. 



place. The manner of growth of a pine tree should be the ideal, although 

 this is not possible to attain entirely, because of the natural difference 

 in the habits of gi-owth of the pine and apple; but it should be approached 

 as nearly as possible. There is rarely any danger of getting the central 

 stem too tall, for the natural tendency is for it to stop and be merged 

 into the spreading branches. If any tendency to too high a center should 

 appear it is easy to check it by cutting bacli the stem. As the tree ap- 

 proaches bearing age the upward growth becomes less pronounced, and 

 there is little occasion with most varieties to head back the top. The 

 weight of fruit also tends to hold back and spread the tops of old bearing 

 trees. One of the main points to be most carefully and faithfully guarded 

 is the proper forming of the head while the tree is very young. If the 

 orchardist is able to understand his trees and forsee their future shapes 

 he may avoid much cutting of large branches when they get old. To 

 be able to do this one must know the peculiarities of each variety he 

 plants. Some will need higher heads than others, and different training. 

 When trees are first set the future form should be in the eye of the planter, 

 and such branches as will finally be out of place should be cut off at once. 

 In no case nor in any climate should the stem of an apple tree be cut 

 out, but it may be cut back moderately, to correspond with the outer 

 branches, which should also be cut back from one-third to one-half. Direc- 

 tion can be given to the shoots at the ends of these cut branches by being 

 careful to have the last bud on the side toward which it is desired to 

 grow. The more severe the cutting the stronger will be the succeeding 

 growth. During the first few years of the life of a tree the rubbing out 

 of sprouts and cutting away of small branches that are not needed Will 

 have a very beneficial effect upon its after life. Train up a tree in the 

 way it should grow, and when it is old it will not be far from what it 

 should be.— H. E. Van Deman. 



WASH FOR PEACH-TREE BORERS. 



Professor Smith, entomologist of the New Jersey Experiment Station, 

 reports satisfactory results with cement and milk applications against the 

 peach tree borex*. All the peach trees in his experimental orchard have 

 been treated since they were first set with one or two annual applications 

 of hydraulic cement mixed with skimmed milk. Enough cement is added 

 to the milk to make a thick wash, which is applied with a brush. The 

 soil is removed from the crown, which is examined closely to see if any 

 borers are in the tree. The application is made to cover the trunk nearly 

 up to the branches. After the cement has set thoroughly, the earth is 

 turned back around the trunk, so that about two inches of the cement 

 covering is below gi-ound. This application has been effective. Hardly 

 any borers have been found after the first year, and that this is not because 

 there are no moths about is proved by the infestation of trees in neigh- 



