ORCHARDS. 101 



and two inches wide, socket, say five inches long, with basle 

 on one side of about twelve degrees, the edges in the shape of 

 a V. It is used with a long handle and a w^ooden mallet to 

 drive it. 



In removing large limbs, it is important to use some kind 

 of composition to cover the wound, and keep out the water 

 and air, and prevent the w^ood from cracking until the wound 

 is healed and covered with new bark. The composition is 

 also useful in case of the acr^idental Avounding of a tree, 

 breakage of large limbs from high winds or excessive weight 

 of fruit. 



"Shall we grow trees with branches starting from the ground, 

 or, shall we prune; and to what height? These and similar 

 questions, are now often asked. We think it would be super- 

 fluous to give any instructions in growing fruit trees to low 

 heads, since for the past sixteen or eighteen years, all our 

 journals both horticultural and agricultural, have vied with 

 each other in descriptions, how best to accomplish, as they 

 supposed, so desirable a result. Indeed, so much has been 

 written on this point, that Ave have gone from trunks six to 

 eight feet high, down to as many inches. These low headed 

 orchards on coming into bearing, have disappointed, or must 

 soon disappoint their owners. The conditions attending the 

 growing fruits are now so changed from what they were a few 

 years since, that trees with low heads, are, in the main, no longer 

 a success. They increase the labor of cultivation many fold. The 

 low branches cut off the under circulation, inducing disease in 

 the foliage, if not in the fruit. They invite insect enemies, and 

 make it difficult, if not impracticable, to arrest their ravages. 

 In short, low heads are a failure, and the sooner we can in- 

 duce people to start the heads of their trees at a proper 

 height, the sooner will it be possible to successfully destroy 

 insects, to ward off diseases, to insure color to the fruit, and 

 make it practicable to cultivate near the trees by means of 

 horse power." 



The above paragraph, from the pen of Dr. E. S. Hull of 

 Alton, Illinois, is valuable, and coincides with our own views 

 on the subject. We do not understand, however, what he 



