74 HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 



tivatc'd. He then triiiuiu'cl up .so that he could cultivate Avith horses and had 

 ;j:ood success; thou.j^ht that with side roots the tree grew faster; thought 

 many of the new seedlings must fail ; did not favor the large hole — it stimu- 

 lated too large a growth ; favored large trees ; the low trees were onlj' " fash- 

 onable ; " would mulch in severe drought ; had injured Xreen by midching and 

 then neglecting it; if it is commenced, i it must be follo\<'ed up; clean culti- 

 vation is the best ; fovored close planting ; until the last year his experience 

 had been in AVisconsin. 



Mr. Gideon never took the mulch away: when it rotted he added more to 

 it : thought a high topped tree was about as useful as a six foot neck on a man. 



]Mr. Wheeler .asked what would make a tree l)ear? 



Mr. Theo. Bost, of Carver, said he had two trees, one near a cattle yard, 

 vhich was thrifty but barren ; the other farther from the yard, was not so 

 thrifty in growth, but bore well. 



'Col. Stevens favored young trees and low heads. 



Col. Robertson— if we follow nature, we will only produce crab apples. 

 Disagreed with Mr. Gideon in the matter of tap roots ; thought it had been 

 settled long ago. It was a physiological fact that the side roots and their 

 tibres fed the tree— cited numerous authorities to confirm his statement; 

 trees were made more prolific bj' increasing the feeding roots ; favoi'ed deep 

 planting because it protected the side roots ; mentioned the case of Mr. Lees, 

 of England, who moved his trees every year to increase their yield ; you can 

 move a tree of any size if you carry with it all its roots. , 



Mr. Leland — it is remarkable how transplanting increases the roots, and he 

 thought the plan was very beneficial. 



Mr. Iloag — thought transplanting bearing trees impracticable ; if successful 

 it w^as miraculous. The tree might put on grow^th, but would scarcely bear 

 fruit. 



Mr. Stewart agreed with Mr. Robertson; had moved a tree in the Fall, 

 transplanted three times previousl}', and the next season it bore forty-seven 

 apples. 



Mr. Grimes instanced similar successes, but thought Col. Robertson's 

 theory of moving bearing trees impracticable in Minnesota. 



Mr. Smith, of Ramsey, thought the pruning of biaiised roots a very 

 important item ; he instanced the cutting of root^s by a gopher wiiich brought 

 the tree into bearing. 



Mr. Bates did not use heavy wax on grafts ; did not care for the fibrous 

 roots in transplanting ; if you remove the leaves in transplanting it would 

 not kill the tree ; and fibrous roots were; to one of these trees .what the leaves 

 W'Cre to the top. . 



Mr. Brush would mulch in Winter and remove after frosts: favored day's 

 cultivating before setting tree's ; set about ten feet apart. 



Adjourned until 9 6'clock, a. m. ^ - . 



