OWATONNA TRIAL STATION, 69 



leaving- the old tree in perfect health. Whj' is this? Is it because 

 the seedling tree grows more slowly and ripens up its wood more 

 perfectly? If so, a little girdling will retard the growth of the 

 grafted tree. Is our method of propagation defective? If so, we 

 may cure that defect by growing trees from root cuttings. What- 

 ever the cause, the fact remains, and it is not prudent for us to re- 

 commend any variety forgeneral planting until it has proved profit- 

 able as a grafted tree, having passed unharmed through a very se- 

 vere winter in a trying location AFTER COMING INTO FULL bearing. 



A great diversity of opinion exists as to how far apart trees should 

 stand in a Minnesota orchard. I have always advocated close plant- 

 ing in the belief that trees thus planted would protect one another 

 to some extent bj' shadingthe ground and holding the snow, thus pre- 

 serving the moisture. We know that apple trees are naturally short 

 lived in Minnesota, are likely to die out before they become crowded, 

 even though closely planted; besides there is nothing so good for a 

 non-blighting apple tree as plenty of manure and good, clean cul- 

 tivation. This they are far more likely to get if they do not cover a 

 large piece of ground. 



There is a great difference in varieties as to the amount of room 

 they need for full development. The Tetofsky might do well with 

 twelve feet square and the Duchess with sixteen feet square, while 

 the Transcendent crab (if it did not blight) and the Quaker beauty 

 crab and other like growers need at least thirty feet square. In this 

 view of the case, we can not fix an inflexible rule, but by my im- 

 proved method of girdling we have the growth under entire control. 

 We can say to the rampant growth, you just stop producing so 

 much wood and give us more fruit, and it will obey. 



I have had much experience in orchard planting. I planted 1500 

 orchard trees in Wisconsin nearly forty j'^ears ago and have planted 

 not less than 500O in Minnesota within the last twenty-five years; and 

 from this experience, coupled with observation, I advise farmers to 

 plant sixteen feet apart each way, and if they have faith in girdling- 

 place them eight feet apart in the row north and south and after 

 two or three years girdle alternate trees by way of experiment. 



I have decided to publish that part of my record showing the be- 

 havior for the last four 3'ears of every one of the 800 orchard trees, 

 comprising more than two hundred varieties. Of about seven hun- 

 dred other grafted varieties in nursery, nearly all are doing finely, 

 the exceptions being mostly the blighting kinds. Ben Davis, Haas 

 and many other half hardj'^ kinds are doing well. 



What we seem now to need more than anything else is an old 

 fashioned Minnesota winter to prove our ways and try the hearts of 

 our apple trees. 



Blight seems to have been less injurious than usual, probablj' 

 from lack of cultivation in the orchard and lack of manure in the 

 nursery. I am manuring the older portion of the nurser}-- this win- 

 ter and will cultivate thoroughly with the view of developing or en- 

 couraging blight. 



I have added to my list the Lincoln pear, the Bismarck apple and a 

 few other new apples and plums. The Longworth pear produced a 



