42 



THE COXXECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



In the spring about twenty of the small ones were thrown out 

 by the frost. There being no side roots to anchor them, the 

 lift of the freeze in the upper surface of the soil pulled them 

 gradually up until the roots were enough exposed to dry out. 

 I now know that had these trees been fertilized and mulched 

 or hoed as Mr. Stringfellow desired, they would have made 

 more growth, so that when properly banked for winter they 

 would not have been lifted by the frost. The next vear the 

 trees made a good top close to the ground. Here another 

 trouble developed. The winds on this hill are very strong, 



Fig. 4. — Crowbar hole peach tree. 



whirling around through an opening in the w^oods. The close- 

 pruned trees without brace roots, wdiirled about until holes w^ere 

 made at the base, much like a large funnel. In some cases 

 the trees lay flat on the ground, and one produced a few peaches 

 in this position. I have left about fifty trees in the brush with 

 absolutely no attention whatever. They are now mere little 

 runts. This year I shall clean them up, keep them well hoed 

 and fertilize them heavily. ]\Iy object is to see if a runt tree 

 is like a runt calf — incapable of good growth or profitable 

 response to feeding. I will also add that I intend to leave 1,000 

 trees to head out as they please — simply removing ingrowing 

 or conflictina: branches. 



