ORCHARDING ON THE WESTERN PRAIRIE. 



177 



where the frees would get some shelter from the north and 

 west winter winds ; they were planted inside the shelter-belts near the 

 house. The longevity of those trees need not be attributed to the 

 fact that they were usually growing on the highest land their owner 

 had, but rather that the trees had received some shelter for five or 

 six years after they had been planted. Not that the trees needed 

 any great amount of protection, but the roots were saved from injury 

 by too severe freezing by the snow that drifted in among them. 

 This brings us to the real cause of the death of so manv of our 



WINTER SCENE IN ORCHARD OF DEWAIN COOK. 



1 his apple orchard was planted in the spring of 1888. The two rows in the center of the 

 view are Wealthys, the others in sight are several other varieties, mosllj' Russians. The 

 rows are sixteen feet apart, and the trees were planted about ten feet apart in the rows. I 

 have chopped out quite a few of the trees because they were too thick, hence the vacancies. 

 It will not take a second look to show that the trees are thriftv. This orchard was mostly 

 heavily mulched this past winter with manure hauled from Jefi'ers. Manure on the snow anci 

 snow on the manure — there was no frost in the ground — with snow from one and one-half to 

 nearly four feet deep in place§ when the view was taken. 



orchard trees — they were root-killed — and to the foundation of 

 future orcharding on the western prairie, that is, hardy roots for our 

 apple trees. If our orchard trees were always upon their own roots 

 or upon equally hardy roots these western prairies would today be 

 dotted with innumerable and thrifty orchards. We have apple trees 

 with hardy tops and with hardy bodies, but we do not have apple 

 trees with hardy roots until we get those trees upon their own roots. 

 I am satisfied that over ninety per cent of our dead apple trees 

 come from root-killing, often whole plantings are thus killed out the 



