Miscellaneous 



ORCHARD RECORDS 



When you set out an orchard always make a chart of the 

 arrangement, giving a place and a number to each tree, then 

 record the numbers, variety and other data in a book. If you 

 fail to do this, you will know how good a forgetter you are when 

 you try to remember where you planted each kind. The in- 

 formation will be useful in a dozen ways. Take our word that 

 it is worth while, and keep the records accurately and completely. 



To label each tree helps this plan and has other advantages. 

 One of the best ways is to cut heavy zinc into strips about ten 

 inches long, two inches wide at one end and coming to a point 

 at the other. Put these in vinegar for a few hours to corrode 

 them; when dry you can write on them with ink or with an 

 ordinary indelible lead pencil and the marks will stay on for 

 twenty years. Twist the little end of the tag loosely about a 

 limb, and let it hang down. Put on this tag the variety name, 

 the number, possibly the date planted, the number of bushels 

 harvested each year, date of blooming, and other useful data. 

 As the limb grows, loosen the loop a little, or remove the tag 

 to a smaller limb. This helps greatly in the successful handling 

 of an orchard. 



CLIMBING CUTWORMS 



Those little pests live in the soil and crawl up young trees 

 at night. They destroy the tender buds. The remedy is to 

 put a wrapping of cotton around the trunk of the tree a foot 

 or so from the ground; or better, build a "fence" of tarred 

 paper about the base of the tree. This should be about six 

 irches high, and should go an inch into the ground. Poisoned 

 bran mush at the base of trees is effective also. 



GRAFTING 



Trees which have proved untrue to name or of worthless 

 varieties should be top-worked with desirable kinds. This is 

 done by grafting eighteen or twenty scions on suitable limbs, 

 just as the bark first loosens in the spring. Be sure that the 

 cuttings you use come from the best trees of the best kinds. 

 Wild trees and seedlings about farms can be grafted likewise, 

 as can those good kinds which require cross-pollination. Use 

 good grafting wax, cut scions carefully, and put them in right, 

 and grafts will grow. 



Bridge-grafting is explained in the talk on mice damage. 

 It has other uses, as with a tree which has been skinned badly 

 from any cause, a bad split that cannot be repaired by bolting, 

 etc. Try to get at least five or six of the bridges to growing. 

 Cover with grafting-wax the places of insertion and at least 

 the raw edges of bark. It is well to cover the whole surface 

 bared if you can get enough wax. 



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