258 ANNUAL REPORT 



in my opinion is all wrong. In close planting the roots will soon 

 run together and interlock each other and rob the soil of nutri- 

 ment and moisture, and the tops will interlace and prevent free 

 circulation of air, and instead of broad, symmetrically-headed trees 

 the tops will stretch upward for room and sunshine and air, and 

 blight and other diseases will prevail to a greater extent. But say 

 they, we will thin the trees before they crowd. That means to 

 throw away three-fourths of the trees before they have brought any 

 returns, and it will seldom be done. Taking them out later is only 

 to destroy the whole, and good fruit trees are too expensive to be 

 treated in that manner. Even if they were not more susceptible to 

 blight and would produce as much fine fruit, which they will not, 

 25 feet on the open prairies and 30 in sheltered locations is the near- 

 est distance that I would recommend. Where trees are planted at a 

 distance apart, [ would recommend an evergreen to be set, if in the 

 square form in the center of each square, if in the quincunx form 

 in the center of each equilateral triangle, for the purpose of pro- 

 tection and for amelioration of the atmosphere. These will not rob 

 the soil or dry it out for any great distance, and they will bear any 

 amount of clipping and cutting back, and can thus be kept under 

 control. Small evergreens cost but little, and will add very much 

 to the beauty of the place, and when the fruit trees fill and shade 

 the whole ground, they can be removed. In planting trees, after I 

 hare set a stake where the tree is to stand I take a board five feet 

 long and six inches wide, with an inch auger hole in each end and 

 a notch in the center, and one small stake for each end that will 

 readily slip through the holes; lay the board down with the notch 

 fitting to the stake. Then insert the end stakes, remove the board 

 and center stake and dig the hole. Then lay the board back over 

 the end stakes. Set the tree to have the trunk fit into the notch 

 where the first stake stood. This saves the time and trouble of 

 sighting back on the rows to keep them straight, 



PRUNING. 



4 



I am an advocate of low heads, not that I would have all the 

 branches come out at or near the surface of the ground like a cur- 

 rant bush, but I would train to a clean, smooth trunk 3 to 5 feet 

 high, according to the variety and locality, the lowest being for 

 open prairies and exposed situations, not allowing all of the branch- 

 es to come out at one point, but training up a leader in the center 

 and leaving branches along as they are required. While some 



