PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PLANTING 



there are plenty of instances in which they have been sold 

 for almost double a fair price. 



Planters can avoid all risk by buying trees from a nursery 

 that, first, grows all its own trees, and second, gets its buds 

 from good bearing trees, and points out to you those trees. This 

 beats all hollow a guarantee to repay you for damage sustained 

 by reason of wrong varieties. Visit the nursery yourself and select 

 your trees. Get the best you can find. There is only a dollar or 

 two difference between the cost of the best and of the poorest, 

 and the ultimate difference to you will be many, many times 

 this. 



"The best trees" usually are of medium size for their kind 

 and of the proper age. They are not always straight and clean. 

 Some kinds do not grow that way. Bear in mind the nature 

 of the variety, compare the different trees you see of that same 

 kind, then pick out those that look best to you. Vigor, clean- 

 liness, health, good roots, and firm, hard, well-ripened wood 

 are much more important than size. If you buy from a nursery 

 that grows its own trees, and takes the trouble to keep track 

 properly of its buds, you can depend on it to do the budding 

 right and deliver to you trees which are as sound as they can 

 be grown. 



It is generally best, especially north of Virginia, to order 

 trees in late summer or early fall, and have them delivered 

 to you either in time for heeling-in that fall, or have them dug 

 and heeled-in at the nursery for you, then shipped as soon as 

 zero weather is past, in time for planting the first day in late 

 winter or early spring that the ground is in shape. Cover tops 

 and all with dirt when you heel-in, use no straw. Fall planting 

 is good if done at the right time and if trees are in good shape. 

 In an average fall, there is only a week or so during which plant- 

 ing ought to be done. Fall-planted trees make some root growth 

 during fall and winter, but spring-planted trees, if put in early 

 enough, will be safer, and will not be behind those planted 

 the fall before, in growth. In the fall you get the pick of the 

 season's tree crop, and planting is not delayed because you do 

 not have trees at the right time. Try to get low prices, but 

 still do not buy trees because they are cheap. Frequently 

 the advice is given to buy trees of the nearest nursery. That 

 is mighty poor advice. Buy trees from the nursery best equipped 

 to produce good trees. Buy the best trees you can get. Don't 

 worry about the distance away or about getting the trees to 

 your place. Good packing will bring trees in perfect condi- 

 tion anywhere. Freight charges across the continent are no 

 more than two or three cents a tree and through a half-dozen 

 states they are likely to be only one cent a tree. 



This book is a fruit-grower's guide book, and we have tried 

 to keep it clear of any reference to our own business of growing 

 trees except to give our experiences for your benefit. But 

 here we want to tell you, as a fact valuable for any planter to 

 know, that we can give you the pedigree of every tree we sell. 

 We will show you. the parent tree or trees, if you care to go to 

 see them, bearing in the most successful orchards of the coun- 



55 



