178 State Horticultural Society. 



get about four times as many trees as when planted 30 to 32 feet apart. 

 When they begin to crowd I am quite sure that I will have the nerve 

 to cut out one half or three fourths as may be required. But I expect 

 this orchard to have paid handsome profits before this is necessary, as 

 the young trees of this variety are the ones that bear the best specimens. 



As to the age a tree should be when planted, opinions differ and 

 probably always will. A majority favor using two-year-old trees, yet 

 many commercial orchardists are using one-year-old trees, while many 

 who plant in a small way use them three, four and even five years old. 

 It is hardly necessary to say that these are too old for the best results. 



The main difference of opinion is between the one and the two-year- 

 old trees. As for myself I prefer the two-year-olds ; one-year-olds with 

 us are usually too small ; during the first summer's growth the wind 

 sways them about too much, and many of them make crooked trees, 

 while two-year-olds are more stocky and able to hold their own. In 

 planting two-year-old trees, if they are fresh dug and in good condition, 

 I never cut them back, provided the tops have been properly formed in 

 the nursery. 



I would prefer cuting all of the limbs off and forming a new top 

 rather than cutting one-half or three-fourths off of each limb as some 

 planters do. 



Which is the best season for planting, fall or spring ? is another 

 question upon which there is a great difference of opinion. I believe 

 that difference is mainly caused by difference in locality, yet you will 

 find men in exactly the same locality, one of whom would not plant a 

 tree in the fall, while the other would not plant in the spring. With 

 us either season is all right, provided the condition of the soil will per- 

 mit the work being done at the proper time. It is frequently the case 

 that the ground is too wet in the spring to properly plant trees until after 

 they have started to grow; for this reason I prefer fall planting. If 

 the trees are planted in the fall they should have a mound of earth 

 about four inches high drawn up around each tree; this protects the 

 tree from freezing and holds it in position and keeps water from set- 

 tling around it. 



As to the varieties to plant, this depends greatly ujDon the locality 

 and the intention of the planter. An orchard planted for homo use 



