ORCHARDING ON THE WESTERN PRAIRIE. 1 79 



they are not profitable commercially. If crabs are to be grown they 

 should not be planted in the same orchard with the apples on account 

 of their tendency to blight. 



One of the advantages enjoyed by prairie planters is that he is 

 not so subject to extreme heat; trees do not start prematurely here 

 in spring or make a second growth late in autumn. 



We are new yet, but I believe that we at least liave an equal 

 show with you who live in the "big woods" and east to the "big 

 river," but we cannot use all of your methods. Don't tell us about 

 planting on hill tops, and north slopes and shallow planting as well, 

 for we have tried them all and want them no more. 



Mr. Thomas McCulley: How deep do you plant your trees? 



Mr. Cook : I plant my trees where it is well shaded six or eight 

 inches deeper than they grew in the nursery, but where it is fully 

 exposed, I put them down from one to two feet ; I usually put them 

 down to the yellow clay. Of course, it makes a difiference in what 

 kind of soil they are planted. 



Mr. Kellogg: Have you river bottoms? 



Mr. Cook : There are no river bottoms on my place. 



Mr. Kellogg: Would you plant on river bottoms three feet 

 above water? 



Mr. Cook : No, I would not if I had any other place to plant 

 my trees. 



Mr. Yahnke: What age tree would you plant? 



Air. Cook : About two years. 



IVIr. Yahnke : I think the younger trees are planted, the sooner 

 they will get roots. 



Mr. Cook : I presume so. The crab will root sooner than the 

 apple. There is one thing about the rooting of apple trees : I have 

 seen mice come in and girdle the trees, and when they were banked 

 up the roots started. I think roots might be started quicker if they 

 were banked up. 



Mr. Yahnke : You practice a little deep planting, and most of 

 them take root before they are three years old. 



Mr. Cook : I think not ; I think they will be four years old be- 

 fore they get any roots that are sound. I do not think there is a 

 well rooted tree on the farm three years old. 



Mr. Yahnke : I have lots of them rooted two or three years old. 



]\Ir. Kellogg: How do you account for Wealthy and Hibernal 

 killing on their own roots four years ago this winter? 



Mr. Cook : They did not do it on my place. One thing about 

 the Hibernal : I plowed out a Hibernal root, and it stuck up in the 

 air about a foot. That was nearly a year and a half ago, and that root 

 is just as fresh and nice as when I first plowed it out. 



Prof. Hansen : The point I want to emphasize was the one Mr. 

 Kellogg brought out, that the roots of the Hibernal and Wealthy 

 were tender in 1897. so that a tree on its own roots was just as bad 

 ofif. 



Mr. Cook : I had no trouble that wav. 



