REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 78 



I find some of the fruitgrowers, when they plant a young 

 orchard, start to top tlieir trees about two feet from the 

 ground, and three or four years afterwards they find out they 

 have made a mistake, by growing their trees too low to the 

 ground. I would consider the best way in starting an apple 

 tree would be to cut it not less than four feet from the ground. 



I find a good niany orcluirdists that have been heading their 

 trees too low, and in about three or four yeaivs afterwards they 

 find it out to their sorrow. Then some of them undertake to 

 •cut off these lower limbs and try to head their trees higher ; 

 but I would not advise anyone to do that. Thev had better 

 Jet them alone, or grub them up, as they will never make a 

 tree again. 



In starting a young orchard you want to be careful and get 

 good healthy trees, not less than five feet in height, and about 

 the size of the stock of a buggy whip, and, if possible, get 

 trees that were grafted on whole roots, and not on pieces of 

 roots ; and get the very best. Never undertake to buy cheap 

 trees. In Germany tlie trees that are grafted on pieces of 

 ..roots; are sold from thirty to thirty-five per cent, less than 

 trees that are grafted on whole roots. 



There is one important matter in cultivating an orchard : I 

 find that some of the fruitgrowers plough their orchards too 

 deep, and a person should use good judgment in cultivating 

 an orchard. Whei'e tlie soil is shallow, and the roots are very 

 i'lose to the top of the ground, you should never plough that 

 orchard ; the harrow is the best thino; to use. In an orchard 

 where the soil is deep,. you might jDlough, but never over six 

 inches deep. You must keep up the cultivation of your or- 

 chard until the first of August. You should run some kind 

 of a cultivator or liarrow thi'ough it about twice a month ; 

 after that it is not necessary to cultivate it any more. 



There are a good many orchardists who are struggling 

 against nature, trying to raise an orchard on land that is not 

 suitable to grow fruit on. That is the land which is called 

 bunchgrass land. If it was natural for a tree to grow there, 

 nature would have made one grow. I do not find many or- 

 chards that are over six or eight years old on bunchgrass land. 

 -As soon as they strike what is called hardpan the limbs be- 

 gin to show it on the top of the tree on the young growth, and 

 it dies back every year. There are some localities on bunch- 

 grass where trees do very well. For instance, on the flat, or 

 on some of the north hillsides, where the soil is deep, you 



