90 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
laws; first, by exposing their roots to sun and wind unnecessarily, 
next, by cramping their roots in a small hole that would not receive 
them in their natural state; also, by not cultivating or mulching the 
ground to stop evaporation as much as possible to save moisture 
and keep the ground cool. 
If we raise fruit in our climate we must get our trees from reliable 
nurserymen or their agents, and the trees must be grown in Minne- 
sota, either our best seedlings or our best Russians; then not expose 
their roots to sun or wind any more than necessary. If to be set in 
an old orchard to fill up vacancies, the groundshould be spaded and 
loosened up at least four feet across, then set the tree in the center. 
If in a new orchard, the ground should be prepared as for corn, and 
the holes large enough to receive the roots in natural shape. The 
depth of setting trees depends upon the ground we set them in; if in 
heavy clay soil, four or five inches deeper than they come from the 
nursery row; but in light prairie soil, ten or twelve inches is the best 
depth—always setting on an angle towards the southwest, or the top 
towards the two o’clock sun, to protect them from sun scald on the 
southwest side. If not planted so, the prevailing wind from the 
southwest gets them erect before the laterals are long enough to 
protect the trunk. Then cultivate for the first four years. In case 
of drouth, mulch them. Cultivate any hoed crops between the 
rows, and seed to clover and pasture with hogs, ringing the large 
ones. When the trees come into bearing, mulch with straw or any 
rough litter every year, and success iscertain with the right variety 
of trees. 
Our nurserymen should be encouraged by buying from them and 
no others. They have labored long and hard, searching America 
and Europe, to get trees adapted to our climate. By a freak of nature, 
a few seedlings over the state have withstood the winter’s cold and 
summer’s heat. These nurserymen have bought the right to propa- 
gate from them at a large expense, placing in our hands a class of 
trees that is expected to stand our severe climate. All honor to the 
noble nurserymen! Their business has to be carried out by agents. 
If they did not send their agents out to sell their stock, agents from 
other states would canvass the country with unadapted trees and 
retard the growing of apples for years tocome. Itis true our nur- 
serymen sometimes employ agents that have little respect for their 
words, frequently misrepresenting fruits, making promises that 
cannot be fulfilled, representing stock they have not got and 
tagging other stock to fill orders they have taken. In a few years 
the trees may bear fruit so different from what the farmer expected 
that he gets excited and tells his neighbors that “these trees were to 
bear large winter apples, but here are worthless little crabs getting 
ripe in September. I will not buy any more trees from that nursery; 
itis a fraud.” So,nurserymen having agents should try to secure 
such as will do a square and honest business; the people hold 
them responsible for the acts of their agents. How different itis 
when agents come from Illinois, New York or any other state and 
sell trees to farmers! If one-half of them die the first summer or 
winter,and a few of them Jive to bear fruit, it makes no difference 
