174 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Atlantic, Iowa. They were of the regulation type—six feet high, 
with small tops. Those of you who have met with me in these meet- 
ings cau easily understand that I did not want that style of a tree. 
I dug a trench two feet deep at one end and nothing at the 
other, put the tree into it, covered it up and straightened it up as 
best Icould. Those trees have grown finely and are nice low-topped 
trees, with roots at the surface of the ground. 
I moved a Louis Philippi cherry tree this fall that had been set 
three years, and it did not have any roots above where it was 
budded. It was a low-topped tree, to begin with, and was set up- 
right some four or five inches deeper than it grew in the nursery. 
Top-working, unless done when the tree is small, is a failure as far 
as my experience goes. Mr. Parks, of Pleasant Mounds, Blue Earth 
Co., Minn., who has top-worked more than any one else in this part 
of the state, says that he has given it up, for of the hundreds that he 
has grafted only one is left, and that is worked in the body. Budded 
trees can be grown successfully by taking trouble enough, but the 
root-grafted tree is the most successful with the same amount of 
labor. 
I wish the members of this society could see some trees that we 
have growing at Winnebago City of what we supposed to be only 
half hardy varieties. After examining them thoroughly, I think 
they would be convinced that their chance for a long life was as 
good, if not better, than a long bodied tree of the same variety 
would have, even if top-worked on a crab. 
TREATING TREES GNAWED BY MICE.-My experience in treating trees 
which have been gnawed is as follows: Takea %-in. chisel, a chisel 
gouge of the same size, a light mallet and a sharp knife. Place the 
chisel in the sound bark just below the gnawed spot and across the 
grainofthe wood. Driveitinabout three-eights ofan inch and again 
exactly opposite above the gnawed place. Now insert the gouge 
midway between the cuts and drive it down to the lower cut, turn 
the gouge and drive upward to the uppercut. With the knife cuta 
scion from the tree, cut square off at each end and a little longer 
than the space between cuts, and spring itinto place so that the 
bark of the scion will meet the bark of the tree, which it is sure to 
do. My trees which had been planted two years were 10 to 12 ft. high 
and some of them gnawed entirely around. I put three to five 
scions in each tree. Always drive the chisel straight toward the 
heart of the tree. Get a barrow load of fresh manure from the cow 
stable and witha paddle, plaster the wound all around so as to cover 
the ends of the scions, and wrap with a piece of burlap and tie with 
woolentwine. Out of 48 trees treated only one died. The last time 
I saw the orchard, which was many years after the operation, every 
tree was in fine condition and all completely healed but greatly en- 
larged near the base. This work should be done in the spring 
about the time the sap starts. : O. J. FARMER. 
