350' MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



If the fall is a very dry one, saturate the ground around each 

 tree thoroughly with water, and after the water has been absorbed 

 loosen up the ground again. Loose ground will not freeze as deep 

 as solid ground, because the particles of air that occupy the spaces 

 between the particles of soil form dead air chambers and act the 

 same as dead air space in a wall. Xext wrap the trunk with wire 

 netting, or some other material that will keep the mice out, and put 

 manure a foot or more deep and out not less than four feet, or as far 

 as the limbs extend, around each tree, being careful not to pile it 

 directly against the tree. This should all be done shortly before 

 the ground freezes. 



Many people have a very mistaken idea that by letting the 

 ground freeze deep and mulching in the spring they will delay the 

 time of the spring awakening and bloom. The fact of the matter 

 is it does not make five minutes difference in the time in which the 

 tree will leave out or bloom ; but the tree that was heavily mulched 

 before the ground froze will show much greater vitality, bear the 

 most fruit and live longest. The mulch should be removed as soon 

 as the leaves begin to appear on the trees in the spring. Young- 

 trees are frequently broken down by snowdrifts. To avoid this 

 gather the branches into a close bunch and tie with binding twine, 

 and set a few poles up around the tree and tie to them to hold the 

 tree in position. 



Many apple trees are destroyed every winter by rabbits and 

 mice. The man who will allow rablnts to eat his trees must be 

 hibernating or lazy and does not deserve any apples. The wide- 

 awake man will eat the rabbits fried a nice brown and served with 

 apple sauce ; however, a coat of whitewash, the lime thinned with 

 a solution of glue and enough carbolic acid to make it smell quite 

 strong, will spoil the flavor of the bark for both rabbits and mice ; 

 in addition, it will prevent sunscald and destroy the eggs of in- 

 sects tliat may be deposited in the crevices of the bark. 



By following such a course all our apples of the first and second 

 degree of hardiness may be successfully grown anywhere in Min- 

 nesota, and the loss from winter injury will be insignificant. The 

 reward in dollars and cents, to say nothing of the pleasure and 

 aesthetic value, will be as generous as from any other branch of 

 farm work. 



Mr. C. Harrison ( Xeb. ) : I think this is one of the most 

 important subjects that has come before this society. Down in 

 Kansas a great many orchards went into winter quarters, and they 

 died. One man put a barrel or two of- water around each tree, 

 and he saved his trees. In Xe1)raska you let a tree freeze dry, 

 and it injures it. Twenty-one years ago we had a verv drv winter. 



