OWATONNA TRIAL STATION. 89 



limbs and cutting down around the tree at an angle of forty-five 

 degrees. If the cut extends a little more than once around no harm 

 will result; if the saw is turned square around the tree the effect 

 will be the same. On small trees and limbs a knife may be used 

 instead of a saw, but the fact must be emphasized that unless the 

 cut is deep enough to disturb the cambium layer no results can be 

 expected to follow. 



About the first of July, 1897, a large amount of girdling was done 

 by the spiral method in the orchard and nursery. A few trees were 

 killed, but I think not one having a good reputation for hardiness 

 and freedom from blight. In the orchard alternate trees, from two 

 to four inches in diameter, were girdled. In most cases girdled 

 trees were well loaded with fine fruit the next season, while on 

 ungirdled trees generally specimens were few and scattering. So 

 far as girdling was extended, it increased the crop fourfold. 



In the nursery, trees were usually from an inch to two and a half 

 inches in diameter and from two to six feet apart, being in nursery 

 rows thinned out. Probably froin three to five hundred of these 

 trees, scattered over about two acres of ground, were girdled. Many 

 ot them were heavily loaded with fruit, and I think the crop 

 amounted to about seventy-five bushels, while I did not notice an 

 apple on an ungirdled tree. More than 100 varieties were thus 

 brought into bearing, about fifty of which were exhibited at our last 

 state fair. Ten or fifteen varieties were new seedlings of great 

 promise. 



In very fruitful seasons if we remove fruit and girdle at the right 

 time we can bridge over the off year, and have fruit to sell or to keep 

 in seasons of scarcity. 



In a climate like ours where fruit trees are naturally short lived, 

 and where our choicest varieties must slip along between our hard 

 winters, which are often uncomfortably close together, none can 

 fail to appreciate the great advantage of being able to bring our 

 trees into very early bearing. 



With more than fifty years of experience in orcharding in Wiscon- 

 sin and Minnesota, and this recently acquired knowledge, I would 

 plant Minnesota orchard trees eight feet apart in therdw, extending 

 north and south, with rows sixteen feet apart east and west. After 

 two or three years I would girdle half my trees. The next season I 

 would girdle the other half. After that I should attempt to control 

 growth and productiveness by girdling. If a cold winter like the 

 present killed down my trees, I would allow them to grow up again 

 in bush form, branching from the ground, feeling very confident 

 that with a little encouragement on my part they would very soon 

 be found doing a prosperous business at the old stand. 



Mr. Dartt: In regard to fruit at the tree station, I want to 

 say I picked a large quantity, probably seventy-five to one 

 hundred varieties, and they were exhibited with our county ex- 

 hibit at the state fair. I did not stay until the fair was over, 

 but I left word with our horticultural friends that they could 

 have that fruit for this meeting if it would keep, but I think 



