PLANTING FRUIT TREES. 85 



such case the tree is not solid enough. They will not remain standing 

 straight, especially the Winesap. 



Mr. Brown: I said to pack the ground and then put the water on. 



A Member: I would like to hear a word from Mr. Russell on this 

 subject. 



Mr. Russell: It may be I don't know any more about it than the rest 

 of you do. There seems to be as manj^ opinions as there are people in 

 the room. Our experience is that when you plant a peach tree, if you 

 take a tree say five or six feet high, cut it down within three feet of the 

 ground, it seems to do better. I like that way better than to cut it back 

 to the ground; but I would rather cut it to within a foot of the ground 

 than to leave the whole top there because there is the probability of the 

 tree shrinking and shriveling if the whole top is left on. By cutting 

 back, you have the top in proportion to roots. I like the low headed 

 spreading tree better than the high upright ones; for when your trees 

 are heavy ladened with fruit, the taller ones are more liable to break 

 down than the low ones. Whereas if you have a low headed tree with 

 four or five branches, you can lose one branch and still have a pretty good 

 tree left. You can renew your trees wonderfully by cutting them back. 

 A few years ago we had an orchard that was planted rather close. We 

 cut one row out clear across the forty acres. Afterwards that row gave 

 us more peaches than any other row in the orchard. It is true the first 

 year the trees will not do so well, but the second year they are much bet- 

 ter. So I favor cutting back a tree pretty well. 



Mr. Williams: There is one point that I would like to have discussed 

 and that is as to the kind of cultivation — whether we shall advise farmers 

 in their orchards to cultivate instead of seeding. The average farmer of 

 today according to my observation does not cultivate. He does not take 

 the time to cultivate them but allows the ground to go to grass and weeds 

 and pastures it. 



Mr. Brown: If I were not cultivating the ground I would make a 

 hog pasture of it. 



The President: It seems to me that we ought to have a little more 

 discussion on this pruning business. It may be that I have got a wrong 

 impression, but if it goes out to the public that we are to cut our trees,. 

 in the case of a farmer who has a few trees, apple trees, for instance, 

 six inches in diameter, he gets an axe and goes and -slashes into those 

 trees and the results will be bad and my experience is that the result 

 will be worse than the good that is done. I used to advocate, before I 

 got more experience, that the pruning knife was the largest and best 

 instrument for that purpose and ought to be used in shaping a tree. I 

 recall to mind where I had to do some landscape work and there were 

 some maple trees that had to be removed. Those maple trees subjected 

 to — well I don't know what you may call it — an operation by a wood 

 butcher. Everything, limbs and all, were cut off square on the top. la 



