ORCHARD AND GARDKN SUGGKSTIONH. 231 



every one large. It is probably necessary to reduce the bearing surface 

 more in the West than in Nebraska as the soil is not so rich but the 

 Nebraska growers will undoubtedly produce more and better fruit by 

 following the Western system in a modified way. Rather severe pruning 

 must be practiced to produce large fruit and large, attractive fruit la 

 what sells on the fancy markets. 



It is 'true that the life of the tree may be shortened by severe prun- 

 ing but it is certainly a great help toward producing fancy fruit while 

 the tree lasts and a short lived tree that produces the "goods" is more 

 valuable than a long lived tree that pi educes occasionally a little good 

 fruit and a whole lot of second class stuff and culls. If severe pruning 

 is practiced, however, it must be carefully done, every wound must be 

 immediately painted and kept painted until it heals and thorough spray- 

 ing and cultivation must be practiced. 



GUAEDINO AGAINST WINTER INJURY. 



Trees and plants should not be overtaken by winter with dry soil 

 about the roots. Trees evaporate water at all times and there must be 

 a supply about the roots in winter as well as summer. Much winter 

 killing of trees and plants in the west is due to the dryness of the soil 

 and atmosphere rather than the extreme cold. Evaporation of water 

 from the parts above ground often takes place faster than water can be 

 supplied and those parts dry out, resulting in injury called winter- 

 killing. With some plants the roots suffer equally as much as the tops 

 when the soil is dry about them and the freezing is severe. 



Dry winters are not the exception in Nebraska, at least in a great 

 part of the state, and it is often advisable to water thoroughly newly 

 set plants and trees or those that are not extremely hardy just before the 

 ground freezes. A mulch of some kind will help very materially to keep 

 the ground from drying out during the winter months. 



Among our important fruits that are subject to winter injury in a 

 great part of the state are peaches, grapes, raspberries and blackberries. 

 Grapes may be protected quite easily by laying the canes down and 

 covering with earth or coarse litter sijch as cane or corn fodder. A 

 heavy covering is not essential; just enough to check evaporation and 

 to iteep the canes from alternate freezing and thawing. It is not the 

 severe cold alone that injures them, but that together with the dryness 

 of the soil and air and the freezing and thawing, does considerable 

 damage except in the south and cast parts of the state. Raspberries and 

 blackberries are more difficult to pt-otect by covering although rasp- 

 berries are sometimes laid down and covered with soil without much 

 trouble. If planted in a pocket in the grove or between the orchard 

 trees where they are protected against the drying: winds and partially 

 shaded, winter injury is not so apt to result. 



