184 AGRICULTURE 



Planting. In the North all planting should be done in 

 the spring,, and as early as the ground can be worked. The 

 plant should be exposed to the air as little as possible be- 

 tween the time of taking up and resetting. The roots 

 should be full and plentiful, and all broken or injured por- 

 tions cut away. In case a good supply of roots can not be 

 obtained, the top should be cut back to correspond with the 

 roots remaining. Unless this is done the growth will be 

 greatly retarded, even if the plant does not die. 



The holes in which the plants are to be set should be 

 sufficiently large that the roots can be spread out in their 

 natural form, and not bent or cramped. The earth should 

 be loosened a number of inches below where the roots are 

 to rest. The rich top soil should be used to pack about the 

 roots, being thoroughly tramped to insure contact with every 

 part of the root fibers. The plant should stand in its new 

 position an inch or two deeper than in the nursery. 



Pruning. All garden fruits need pruning. This is 

 for the purpose (1) of favoring the growth of sturdy 

 trunks or stems, (2) removing the non-fruit-bearing parts 

 so that the strength of the plant may go to the production 

 of fruit, and (3) relieving the plant of old and useless 

 stems and branches that no longer bear fruit. 



The time and method of pruning different plants de- 

 pend on their habits of growth and fruit-bearing, which 

 must be known by the gardener. All cuts should leave a 

 clean smooth surface, with no tearing of the bark or other 

 injury. 



Apples and Pears throw out in each season's growth 

 short shoots or "spurs" from the sides of the branches that 

 are one year or more old. It is on these spurs that the next 

 year's fruit is grown. All pruning after the bearing age 

 has been reached must be done with care not to trim back 



