11 



in the spring or autumn. In favorable localities and with hardy varie- 

 ties it may be done quite as vi^ell one season as another, but for general 

 planting the spring is the safest time in our rigorous climate. 



Great care should be taken to prevent the roots of the trees drying 

 while they are out of the ground. If it happens to be hot and windy 

 at the time of transplanting, it is a good plan to puddle the roots in soft 

 mud as soon as they are taken from the packing box or trench, and in 

 carrying the trees about the orchard, it is well to keep the roots covered 

 with a wet blanket or piece of old carpet. 



The hole for the tree should be wide enough to hold the roots without 

 cramping or crowding, and should be deep enough to admit of a few 

 inches of fine mellow surface soil being filled in the bottom, and still have 

 the roots an inch or two deeper than they were in the nursery row. The 

 roots should be spread out in their natural position and should be cov- 

 ered with moist mellow surface soil. It is well, in digging the holes, to 

 have the surface soil placed at one side and the subsoil on the other, so 

 that in refilling the surface earth may be placed next the roots and the 

 subsoil left for the top. If the soil has been properly prepared it is sel- 

 dom necessary to water the roots at the time of transplanting, but care 

 must be taken to ensure the soil moisture from below coming up to the 

 roots. This is insured by tramping the earth firmly as soon as the roots 

 are well covered, and leaving only the top soil untramped to act as a 

 mulch and retain the moisture below. The neglect of this firming of 

 the soil around the roots is one of the most common causes of failure in 

 the transplanting of trees. If watering is necessary, a small pailful 

 poured in as soon as the roots are nearly covered, is of more use than a 

 half dozen on the surface after the planting is done. 



All torn, bruised, or injured roots should be cut back, with smooth 

 cuts, to sound wood. Smooth cuts callous over quickly and new roots 

 are the more readily sent out. Trees obtained from the nursery, no 

 matter how carefully they may have taken, up, have lost the greater 

 part of, their root system, and in order that they may make a satisfac- 

 tory growth when transplanted the top must also be cut back to a simi- 

 lar extent to restore the balance. This cutting back, however, can be 

 most satisfacto'-ilv done after the trees are planted, when they are held 

 firmly by the soil and more careful attention can be given to shaping the 

 head of the young tree. 



Initial Pruning. 



Closely associated with the heading back of the top at the initial 

 pruning of the tree, is the question of determining the height at which 

 the head should be formed. On this, as in many other points of orchard 

 management, there is a variety of opinions. Some prefer high heads, 

 because of the greater convenience for cultivation and working under- 

 neath ; while others prefer them low, because of the greater convenience 

 in pruning, spraying, and harvesting. There are other reasons, how- 

 ever, why low headed trees are preferable ; in exposed locations the trees 



