34 



POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



tree that Is exposed to the direct rays of the midday sun may 

 start into growth independently of the rest of the tree. 



Injuries from birds. Birds are often 

 very injurious by eating cherries, raspber- 

 ries and some other fruits. At times they 

 become so exceedingly injurious that it may 

 be necessary to use the shot gun, but as 

 a rule the birds that commit these depre- 

 dations are very helpful in destroying large 

 numbers of injurious insects and the toll 

 they take in fruit is not more than they are 

 justly entitled to. The Yellow-belly Sap- 

 sucker is a bird that often girdles the larg- 

 er branches of our choicest trees. He should 

 be destroyed. Partridges and perhaps 

 quail will sometimes eat the buds of our 

 fruit trees in winter. They may be kept off 

 by giving them a shock of grain to work on 

 instead. 



Injuries to trees by cattle. In remote 

 sections deer will browse the twigs off fruit 

 trees and break them down. Farm stock is 

 also occasionally injurious in the same way. 

 Reasonable Precautions will prevent this, 

 the sap-sucker Injuries from wind. Wind often causes 



much in J ury to trees heavily loaded with 

 fruit by shaking off the fruit or even break- 

 ing the trees. The remedy is the use of windbreaks, the support- 

 ing of branches by stakes or by tying one branch to another 

 on the opposite side of the tree. Attention to these precau- 

 tions will often prevent serious injury. Young trees in exposed 

 places are often injured by being blown about. This is the case 

 for the first year with trees that are newly set and especially 

 those that are set out in autumn and not properly staked or 

 laid down. Such trees are liable to be blown aboul very much in 

 windy spring weather when the ground is soft, and the tree is 

 then easily loosened and killed. Autumn-set trees should al- 

 ways be staked if they are large enough to take the wind; & 



