\ 
E 
. 
MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 97. 
danger to fruit trees in orchard or nursery, so much so that I did not mulch 
last fall. 
A deep snow falling early in the winter before the ground has frozen and 
then drifting several feet deep around apple trees, preventing the ground 
' from freezing during the winter, if it is not removed at once from about the 
_ trees and the ground allowed to freeze, the roots of the trees will be very 
apt to perish. The cause is unknown to me; nevertheless, I know it to be 
correct. : 
Another item I will give a passing notice. Nurserymen are sometimes 
negligent or try to do more than they accomplish. Ill-shaped and forked 
trees are suffered to grow on their ground, and from thence to the farmer’s 
orchard, which is always an eye-sore to an intelligent nurseryman, and a | 
loss to the purchaser. Healthy trees, with tapering stem and symmetrical 
top always find a ready sale, often at double the usual price. 
DISCUSSION. ‘ 
Mr. Dart. I object to the phrase ‘‘ always find ready sale.’ 
Mr. Jewell. I object to fall planting. It might succeed, but. 
sometimes it will fail utterly while in any case the trees will make 
a better growth planted in the spring. I object also to the manner 
of mulching. I am persuaded that no roots are hardy enotgh to 
stand freezing even in dry soil. Wetting requires much labor, and. 
it is better to wet the ground and then mulch, but better still to 
preserve the moisture by cultivating till autumn. Straw is the 
best mulch exceptsnow. The next best is coarse manure, but do 
not use fine manure. Straw is more useful because it catches 
more snow. 
Mr. Pearce. Talk is cheap; facts are what we are after. I do 
not advise any one else to set trees in the fall. But it is well 
enough to seta few. I set out a hundred in the fall of 1872 and 
they lived through. 
Mr. Grimes. J am aware that apple trees may be set in the 
fall but I prefer the spring. But if set in the fall, set deeply, 
mound up and wrap up the trunk to protect it from wind and sun, 
for newly set trees stand stationary while established trees still 
have some action, even in winter. 
Mr. Arnold. Fall setting has been an old hobby with nursery- 
" men because they want two sales, one in the fall and another in 
the spring to replace those set in the fall. But with farmers it is 
not popular. If not protected by snow they will die even though 
they are deeply set; deep setting is the only security in this State 
and fall planting is a very poor practice for Minnesota. 
Mr. Pearce. I do not advocate fall setting, but as trees are 
13 
BM Oe ae Sia 
. plies 
? 
/ . 
