LOW HEADED FRUIT TREES 



A SAVING OF EXPENSE IN THE GATHERING OP THE CROP. 



SOME forty years ago I helped to gather 

 the apples from trees that were so tall 

 that it took two men to put up a ladder long 

 enough to reach the top of the trees, writes 

 N. B. White to American Gardening, and 

 this slow and expensive process led me to 

 the conclusion that the top of an apple tree 

 should be grown nearer to the ground, and, 

 having some young stocks in my garden of 

 suitable size to graft, the next spring I com- 

 menced my experiment of low head for ap- 

 ple trees. 



I grafted fifty trees. The scions all 

 formed a union and made a good growth,' 

 and the following spring I cut them back to 

 about 6 inches from the ground, leaving 4 to 

 6 buds, and from those buds the branches 

 for the future top, or head, were produced. 



With a great deal of interest I watched 

 them, as from year to year they advanced 

 toward fruiting. When they were three 

 years old I offered some of them for sale, as 

 I had not room for all of them, but no one 

 would buy. " Too low," they said. They 

 wanted trees that they could plow under. In 

 vain I stated the advantage of having them 

 low down, but it was of no use. The peo- 



ple wantetd apple trees up out of the way, 

 so I planted out most of them myself. 



The trees made fine growth, and are in 

 bearing condition now, and seem good for 

 forty years more. Those trees, I think, 

 were the first ever grown especially for the 

 low heads in this country. Orchardists are 

 now, and have been for several years, drift- 

 ing towards that medium of training. Still 

 there are many who object to it, and it is for 

 these doubting Thomases that I am prompt- 

 ed to pen this article. 



It might be difficult to state just which is 

 the most important. The great saving of 

 expense and the great ease and comfort in 

 gathering the fruit is certainly an important 

 one. Another is the greater convenience in 

 spraying, pruning and thinning fruit. 



Again, if an apple drops to the ground it 

 is not ruined by the fall. Another great 

 gain, and perhaps the greatest advantage of 

 all when the life of the tree is considered, is 

 the protection given to the roots from the 

 hot sun in summer. Trees thus protected 

 make a better growth, and seem more heal- 

 thy and, as I believe, will endure much 

 longer. 



THE APPLE 



C^ HEMICALLY the apple is composed 

 y of vegetable fibre, albumen, malic 

 and gallic acids, sugar, gum, chloraphyll, 

 lime and water. Many scientists and anal- 

 ists say apples contain a larger per centage 

 of phosphorus than any other fruit or vege- 

 table. This phosphorus is admirably adapt- 



ed to the brain and spinal cord, renewing the 

 essential nervous matter, lethicin, imparting 

 vigor to the whole constitution. Apples 

 are laxative ; and it is claimed that a good, 

 ripe apple is thoroughly digested in 85 min- 

 utes. — Southern Fruit Grower. 



