340 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



years ago made a failure of his apple orchard, though he selected the varieties 

 which were good bearers in the same latitude. He decided that his section 

 was a failure in fruit. A gentleman well versed in transplanting and acclima- 

 tion of trees, learning where his trees grew, assured him that the fault was in 

 transplanting them from a nursery, far south of his own location, in the fall 

 season. He tested this theory with a few trees of the same kind from the 

 same nursery, but planted them in the spring, and to his surprise they flour- 

 ished and bore fruit abundantly. This kind of mistake is frequently made, 

 and the locality, rather than the man, is charged with the cause of the fail- 

 ure. Transplanting trees to a colder climate should always be done in the 

 spring, and to a warmer climate than where grown in fall. This is true, wheth- 

 er done by seeds, cions or otherwise. — Indiana Farmer. 



PRUNING. 



A WORD OF ADVICE. 



Pruning requires careful and diligent study, and if done properly and intel- 

 ligently will prolong the life and usefulness of the orchard as much as any 

 one thins:. 



The saw and ax should be abolished and forbidden to enter the orchard, 

 and the knife should be used sparingly, only to cut out here and there a limb 

 or sprout to let in the light. Every orchardist should have the form of his 

 trees clearly pictured in his mind, and the pruning be only such as is needed 

 to obtain that ideal pictured in his mind. No specific instruction can be 

 given by the most experienced pomologist or orchardist, as the soil, 

 location, temperature and elevation has much effect on the trees, 

 and also there is much difference in the habits of the growth of dif- 

 ferent varieties, some growing quite slender, others stocky, some spreading, 

 others quite close. The best time to prune is in the month of December, 

 although it may be done atany time while the frost is in the ground or the tree 

 is in the dormant state, except just before the sap starts upon its upward 

 course. Pruning can be done successfully in the summer if done at the right 

 time, but just when the time comes is not always easily determined, as so 

 much depends upon the growth of the tree, season, location, sterility or rich- 

 ness of the soil. Very much of the wasteful jirunhig, or I should say butch- 

 ering, can be avoided by rubbing off here and there a bud with the fingers 

 during the growing season. By this means the sap is directed to other buds 

 and no wood is wasted, and much of the labor which is now used to butcher the 

 trees, pile up the brush and burn it, would be saved to the orchardist, but the 

 greatest saving would be in the growth of w^ood which is wasted. This system 

 of pruning is being adopted more or less by our most intelligent and thought- 

 ful pomologists throughout the country, but much care Jieeds to be exercised, 

 careful study had in forming the top of our ideal tree, that we do not injure 

 its future usefulness. The heads should be trained low and not be made for 



