THE PLUM IN KANSAS. 121 



well saturated at this time it is of advantage to the orchard, whether 

 the months following be cold or warm. If warm, the soil will not so 

 soon become dry, and danger from this source is lessened ; if cold and 

 the soil be continuously frozen, the moisture is retained and the con- 

 ditions for sjjring growth improved. 



The system practiced is to furrow for each irrigation, using a one- 

 horse plow and turning from the trees on both sides of the row. 

 Water is run in the furrows for from twelve to thirty-six hours, ac- 

 cording to the supply available and the condition of the soil. As 

 soon as practicable after irrigating, a harrow is used to close the fur- 

 row and smooth the surface. The aim is to keep a constant mulch of 

 loose soil on the surface, so as to check evaporation as far as possible. 



PLANTING DISTANCE. 



The most common practice is to plant 15x15 feet, but this is too 

 close for fully developed trees of spreading habit. A better plan is 

 to plant 15x20 feet, or to adopt the accepted California practice and 

 allow 20x20 feet. There seems to be a decided preference for low- 

 headed trees, on the ground that they are less liable to injury from 

 winds, and that less trunk is exposed to the action of the sun. With 

 low-headed trees tlie disadvantages of close jjlanting are more quickly 

 apparent. The best-formed trees are those headed at from thirty to 

 thirty-six inches from the ground, and this is the distance we prefer. 



Young trees are frequently injured by what are known as " frost 

 cracks " — a longitudinal splitting of bark and wood on the south side 

 of the trunk, occurring in late winter or early spring, and attributable 

 to the extreme daily range of temperature which often occurs at that 

 season. To guard against this injury, the trunks should be protected 

 in some way. Various devices have been used, but we found wrap- 

 ping with burlap the most effective and least expensive. Burlap that 

 had been used for baling was purchased at dry-goods stores for two 

 cents per pound, and cut into four-inch strips three and four feet 

 long ; one pound giving an average of nine strips. These are wound 

 spirally on the trunks, being held at the top by a lap and by tying 

 with cord at the bottom. One man can cover from fifty to sixty trees 

 per hour, with the material prepared and ready at hand. The cover- 

 ing is aiDplied in November and removed in April or May. The same 

 bands will serve for two or three seasons. The whole cost is less than 

 one cent per tree, and will repay the trouble. 



ARRANGEMENT OF VARIETIES. 



The Wild Goose plum has long been regarded as infertile when 

 isolated, and the same complaint has occasionally been made regard- 

 ing other varieties, but the experiments carried on by Professor 

 Waugh, of Vermont, in 1896 and 1897, indicate that the actual extent 



