THE SUCCESSFUL APPLE ORCHARD OF THE FUTURE. 45/ 



burlap the roots are protected from becoming dry in the air. In re- 

 planting every care must be taken to get the taproot deep down 

 again in its natural state. A forkful of earth is removed, and with a 

 suitable iron rod a hole is made deep enough to admit putting the 

 root down full length ; then the hole is filled up with loose, fine earth 

 and firmly packed. The tree is now in its permanent place, as near 

 perfect in its root development as possible, which I consider most 

 essential for success. 



All those trees which look most promising in growth, I will 

 leave to bear fruit and will top-work later if fruit is not worthy in 

 quality. Those trees which in growth appearance seem to tend to- 

 wards crab variety, I will graft at once to known choice varieties. 

 An orchard started as here suggested I am convinced will prove 

 successful in its production of fruit and long life. 



Mr. Poore: I have cited just what has been brought to my ob- 

 servation through life. I know of trees planted in 1848 in southern 

 Ohio at the time when they were introducing the root-grafting pro- 

 cess, where one-half were root-grafts and the other half were 

 stock-grafts. In 1898 I visited that orchard again and not a single 

 root-grafted tree remained, while the stock grafts were still there. 

 While I resided in Missouri in 1873 I took the first premium at the 

 St. Louis fair for the best seedling apple. My brother-in-law being 

 a nurseryman planted a large orchard, and in 1876 that orchard was 

 bearing heavily. A year ago my brother-in-law was up here and 

 told me that there was not one tree in that orchard alive today, but 

 those five seedling trees are apparently just as hardy and thrifty 

 as they were when I knew them last in 1873. I can account for it 

 in no other way except the maintenance of the natural condition in 

 the ground. Nature does something for us by helping to counter- 

 act the influence of climate, etc. 



Mr. Yahnke : I would like to ask the gentleman how old his 

 trees are now which he planted when they were one year old ? 



Mr. Poore : After twenty years' experience and close observa- 

 tion I have just started my orchard. 



Mr. Yahnke : I have always planted young trees. My orchard 

 is planted on a northwest slope, and, like Mr. Busse's, it is an ideal 

 spot because I have no other. (Laughter.) I had no other place 

 to plant them, and in planting I used young trees. You can plant 

 those young trees with long roots, and they will establish them- 

 selves and will go down where they can get water. My trees are 

 thirty feet above the level of the water, where every drop of water 

 runs away, and I have some of those trees planted 16x32 feet, and 

 they are interlocked in every way, and in the sixteen foot distance 

 they are interlocked four feet. They are vigorous and thrifty after 

 twenty years. I planted young trees, and I cannot emphasize that 

 point enough. 



Mr. Rodell : In regard to the tap root, have you ever had any 

 experience that would go to show that you get as good fruit from 

 a tree with a tap root as from one that has no tap root? 



Mr. Poore : I believe an apple tree will not do as well and will 

 not produce as heavily as from a root-grafted tree, but you take 

 those trees that produce heavily, followed Ijy a hard winter, and your 



