130 Report of State Board op Horticulture. 



assume an erect, strict habit, with an even, regulär taper; others are 

 kinky, irregulär in the direction of ascent, and having an uneven taper; 

 and still others are short, thick and inclined to branch. Yet, notwith- 

 standing this wide divergence of character, these trees may be all first- 

 class. The character or habit of the variety must be fully studied, and 

 then trees possessing a strong inclination to follow the type habit should 

 be selected. Oftentimes no better source of infoi'mation on these points 

 can be found than the nurseryman. It is his business to study trees. If 

 the market sets, as it often does, in Its misguided demand, a general 

 uniform requirement for all trees, then the nurseryman is obliged to 

 meet it, and the attempt is made to grow all varieties to a common type, or 

 eise discard those varieties that do not form a "pretty tree" of gross 

 vigor regardless of important merit. When the planters learn that the 

 trees of no two varieties have the same habit — in fact, that no two trees 

 are alike — then may we expect to find nurserymen growing trees for their 

 real merits, and not for looks. It may be a real merit for a tree to be 

 straight, or it may be a merit for it to be kinky, thick, and with little 

 taper. It all depends upon the variety. If you have not well-defined ideas 

 of the requirements of first-class trees, then take counsel of a reliable 

 local nurseryman of some years standing, if such an one is to be found in 

 your locality. If not, then deal with the established firm, that is nearest 

 you, and one that would be connected naturally with your locality com- 

 mercially. Under such circumstances it is generally safe to rely upon the 

 dealer to send you first-class trees of the varieties ordered, for his busi- 

 ness reputation rests upon the Service he performs. In this age, when the 

 market value of an object depends so largely upon looks, and when our 

 ideas or tastes in this direction are the result of faulty education, it is 

 little wonder that our ideas of what looks good may be quite out of 

 harmony with the real merits of the object under consideration. 



Age of Trees to Plant. — Formerly, and even at present in some parts 

 of the east, writers advise the prospective orchardist to purchase two- 

 year-old, or even three-year-old trees for transplanting. But such advice is 

 rarely, if ever, given in Oregon at the present time. Trees one year old 

 are old enough. The younger a tree is when removed from the nursery 

 the less of its active root System is left there. The least check is given 

 to a plant when it can be transferred with root and stem Systems intact. 

 It is quite impracticable to remove a grafted or budded tree from the nur- 

 sery without more or less injury to its root System. The younger the tree 

 is, however, the less will be this injury, and consequently the less the 

 check in its development as a result of removal. As the tree gets older, 

 larger wounds are made upon the roots as they are severed, and these 

 wounds offer a place for attack by fungi, and often prove the source of 

 much trouble to the future tree. When the young tree is removed from 

 the nursery row, relatively small roots are severed; the wounds, if prop- 

 erly treated, soon heal, and danger from fungous foes is reduced thereby 

 to a minimum. 



One-year-old apple trees often grow to be five feet, and more, tall, and 

 five-eighths of an inch, and more, thick on Oregon nursery land. It is 

 rarely, if ever, that we find yearling apple trees less than three feet in 

 height. There is no reason for asking for larger trees for transplanting. 



How to Plant. — The trees selected, next comes the planting. If pos- 

 sible the roots should be carefully pruned immediately upon removal from 

 the nursery row. This can only be done when the nursery is near by, and 

 the buyer can be on the ground at the time removal is being made. Trees 

 should remain out of the soll only so long as is necessary to transfer 

 them to the packing or healing-in grounds. If one can get the trees at 

 the nursery when lifting Operations are in progress, he can remove all 

 bruised and broken roots; make clean and smooth all end where roots have 



