Growing the appt.r tree 4? 



Marshall any questions, or has any ideas they would like to advance 

 along this line, there is an opportunity given now for you to question 

 Mr. Marshall, or say what you wish to say. 



Mr. iJickinson: I would like to ask Mr. Marshall what year of the 

 trees' growth he would cut back that center head, if at all? 



A. What year of the growth? 



Q. Yes, sir? 



A. Well, if the tree has been allowed to limb out in the nursery, 

 I would trim it back when the tree is planted, and of course that would 

 be the previous year's growth. If you do not dO' that the head will not 

 be symmetrical. Now if the growth is all through, you might not have 

 to trim that tree at alii. But if you had quite a vigorous growth in the 

 nursery, the previous year, you would be compelled to cut those side 

 branches back, and get them started, and in that case you will have 

 to cut the leader back a little bit to keep it along with the rest of the 

 tree. 



Q. I notice in your paper that you let the leader grow the second 

 year? 



A. No, sir, you misunderstood that. I leave it a little longer so as 

 to maintain its leadership. 



The Chairman: Is there any one else that has any queations they 

 would like to ask? 



A Member: I would like to ask the gentleman, how it would do to 

 cut this leader off entirely? 



A. Why, the tree would be without a leader, that is all,. 



Mr. C. G. Marshall: Wouldn't that make a tree that would be apt 

 to split down a great deal worse than one tlaat has a leader? 



A. Yes, sir. I think that is the idea in having a leader. One that 

 the limb would branch off from, and you w ill not have a tree from which 

 the limbs are so apt to split off. 



Mr. Yeager: I think Mr. Marshall stated that he recommended the 

 three year old tree. Now we know that trees of the various varieties 

 are not the same size at the same age. My observation is that we are 

 coming more and more to planting younger trees. That, of course, is 

 where the large orchardists are planting, and it seems they are planting 

 younger trees, and some are even planting yearlings. But in the average 

 home, or farm orchard, it seems they are planting two or three year old 

 trees. But still I think that the day is coming when they will plant 

 younger trees; perhaps not yearlings, because of commercial reasons, 

 but the two and three year old tree. Don't you think, Mr. Marshall, that 

 the young tree is more certain to grow than the older one? 



A. Up to three years, any age under that. I believe that a tree up 

 to three years old can be planted with perfect safety, but if you want the 

 tree limbed out, you must have it three years old, or a two limb top at 

 least with a vigorous growth, at least tlie second yoiar. And then letting 

 it grow two years after that. But the idea in that is that when you limb 

 that tree you must have enough of length to the body so that you can 



