TAKING TREES FROM NURSERY 97 



The matter of size is not the only point to consider, for size of the 

 top is not so desirable as well-matured wood and plenty of roots. 

 Stunted trees are not, as a rule, worth planting. There are cases, 

 however, in which, by extra cultivation in good soil, fine trees have 

 been grown even from "culls" from the nursery. The best rule is 

 to select trees of good medium size, straight and healthy. During 

 the digging season, ask to see samples of the roots as well as the 

 tops, and do not purchase trees unless the roots are healthy looking 

 and free from knots or excrescences. Gnarly and knotty roots in 

 the young tree are a sure sign of insect pests or of unhealthy growth, 

 and planting such trees has occasioned immense loss. Many have 

 been led into purchasing poor trees because they may be had cheap. 

 A tree selected merely because it is cheap may prove the most ex- 

 pensive thing a man can put in the ground. 



Guarding Against Insects. The top of the tree should be care- 

 fully examined to discover scale insects if there be any. For this 

 purpose a hand-magnifier should be used. Such a glass should 

 always be in the fruit grower's pocket. One can be bought at any 

 optician's for a dollar or two, which will fold into its case so as to 

 be carried without scratching. Our nurserymen by forsaking old 

 infested locations and obtaining new ground, now sell much cleaner 

 trees than they did years ago. But still it is well to be always on the 

 watch for pests. Disinfection of nursery stock is now officially pro- 

 vided. Details of treatment will be given in the chapter on injurious 

 insects. 



TAKING TREES FROM THE NURSERY 



Trees should be carefully taken from the nursery rows, so as to 

 obtain a good amount of small branching roots. In lifting from the 

 home nursery, digging with well-sharpened spades, which will sever 

 the long roots cleanly, is perhaps the best method. In the large 

 nurseries tree diggers are generally used. They have two revolving 

 coulters which cut through the surface soil each side of the trees, 

 and a sharp-curved blade, which is drawn through the ground under 

 tlie trees, loosening the soil and severing the long roots cleanly. The 

 tree is then easily lifted, and has generally a much better root sys- 

 tem than by the old style of "plowing out," which broke off so 

 many of the small roots and lacerated the larger ones. Whether the 

 tap root should be retained or not is not worth discussing on theo- 

 retical grounds. As a matter of fact and practice, the tap root cuts 

 no figure at all in California orchard planting, although the discus- 

 sion of the question was formerly very warm in this State, and is 

 still occasionally heard. It is important, howevtr, that the planter 

 should have as many small lateral roots as he can get. The small 

 fibrous roots are usually of little account, as they seldom survive 

 transplanting, and it is better to clip them away, if the time can be 

 afforded, as they often prevent the proper close contact of the soil 

 with the larger roots. Cutting back all roots to short stubs at the 

 base of the stem has succeeded in some instances in California on 



