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set the trees. We were very particular to put a little dirt 

 underneath but in this practice we seemed to lose a good 

 many trees. In later years I thought it over and noticed 

 when we planted trees that didn't have fibrous roots they 

 made a fine gowth, so I made up my mind I might just as 

 well cut those little roots off and trim up the large ones. Be- 

 fore planting the trees I soaked them in water, leaving them 

 in for about six hours at first, and after that I kept on in- 

 creasing the time; now I leave them in the water from 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours and sometimes two or three 

 days. In this way I had pretty good success, seldom losing 

 a tree. In planting I put the tree in the hole and throw dirt 

 in, then shake the tree up in order to settle the dirt around 

 the roots. I fill the hole and tread the dirt around the roots 

 in good shape; if the soil is dry, generally put on a pail of 

 Avater and let it settle, then finish filling the hole with loose 

 dirt. In this way I very seldom lose a tree. In trimming 

 the tree, I used to cut it back pretty well, heading in all tne 

 young growth. I watched some of those trees and found 

 they made a poor growth the first year but the next year 

 they seemed to do pretty well. 



In planting trees of late years I have noticed that when 

 set out they start and then seem to die down. I think most 

 of this trouble is caused by the stock on which they are bud- 

 ded in the nursery. The trees look all right but some of the 

 suckers coming from the stock look as if they were buck- 

 thorn, wild stuff ; no pear to it, and I think this is one of the 

 great troubles with our pears today. 



I set out quite an orchard of Kieffers and grafted them 

 into the Bosc. AVhen thej^ suckered out I broke the suckers 

 off and it seemed to kill the trees; they died right down. 

 There was one tree I didn't touch and that seemed to grow 

 in nice shape, but the suckers crowded the graft so I bent 

 them down, not breaking them off, so they wouldn't inter- 

 fere with the grafts. After a couple of years the grafts 

 seemed to grow right up and I got a good crop ; then I cut off 

 the suckers that were left and the tree seemed to be all right. 



