14 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A Young Top-Worked Orchard. 



E. G. LEE, ST. PAUL. 



The theory and practice of top-working have been thor- 

 oughly discussed before this society, and its purpose and advan- 

 tages are well known. In relating the results of my efforts along 

 this line, my purpose is merely to show how I have applied the 

 principles of horticulture learned from the experience of others. 

 I have obtained this information from many sources, studying 

 the subject carefully for several years, but to the Minnesota Hor- 

 ticulturist I am chiefly indebted for both knowledge and inspira- 

 tion, and to Mr. Harold Simmons, of Howard Lake, for practical 

 advice. 



In establishing a top-worked orchard, the problems faced 

 might be classified under six heads : 1. Selection of a site. 2. 

 The selection of the stock. 3. Planting. 4. Selection of scions. 

 5. The grafting operation. 6. Care of the orchard. 



My land is in the Minnetonka district, about one-half mile 

 from the Tonkawood station on the Deephaven trolley. To the 

 southwest is Christmas Lake, directly west is the main lake of 

 Minnetonka, and just north is Gray's Bay. Between these bodies 

 of water and my property is an extensive growth of heavy tim- 

 ber, so that my trees are protected from the hot southwest winds 

 of summer and from the cold northwest winds of winter. 



The land is rolling with a prevailing north and west slope. 

 The highest point is seventy feet above the lowest, which gives 

 plenty of air drainage. The big lakes and nearby swamps afford 

 moisture content. The soil is virgin hard maple land, part of it 

 cleared just before planting. There is a light loam on top, which 

 does not bake, and a heavy clay underneath. 



In the spring of 1912 I planted eleven of my eighteen acres 

 with young trees. I chose chiefly Virginia crab stock, but as I 

 had difficulty in getting the number of trees of that variety I 

 required, I used about 100 Hibernal, which I placed in a block by 

 themselves. There are advantages in both these stocks. The 

 Virginia has a very hard wood and probably provides stronger 

 crotches. It throws out new branches more vigorously than the 

 Hibernal, which would seem to indicate greater vitality, but its 

 branches have a slight tendency to grow in. The Hibernal has 

 a more spreading habit, which is a great advantage in placing 

 scions properly. 



I could find only two nurseries in the state at that time with 



