140 



The ordinary nursery trade calls for a tree to be 

 trimmed up to that 30 to 33 inches high, which I think is a 

 mistake, but the trade calls for it. The head is then too 

 high. 



Now as to planting. If the trees are dry when received 

 throw them into water, root and branch and leave them 

 there 24 hours before planting, taking them out as needed 

 or heel them in, in wet ground. Plant just as soon as you 

 can after you get the tree; don't wait for the land to dry 

 off so that you can cultivate it. Get the trees in early and 

 pound them tight. Don't go chopping off a lot of roots. I 

 wouldn 't take off any more roots than I had to. If the root 

 is damaged I would cut it back a little, but I wouldn't take 

 any more off. Dig your hole as small as you like, jam the 

 roots in and pack them tight ; get the biggest man you have 

 and keep him busy tamping. If you don't get them tight 

 that way, take a fence post and tamp them tight. The main 

 thing is to place the soil in touch with the root so that the 

 water Avill move from the soil into the plant. Now, it can 't 

 move through an air space, and you want that plant to grow 

 just as quickly as you can in the spring. If they are pound- 

 ed tight, moisture circulation is established and the tree be- 

 gins to grow as soon as possible ; do everything you can to 

 bring about that result. Leave the buds on, which grow 

 first, leave all the roots on, get it in the ground as soon as 

 you can and cultivate it just as much as you can. once you 

 have it in. Then you can grow an apple tree. You will 

 not only have them growing until July, but you will have 

 them growing imtil August. Then you can make it grow, 

 in spite of what I heard yesterday, that your trees quit in 

 July. I never have had trees celebrating the Fourth in that 

 way. Laughter). I would have them take a new lease of 

 life right off, and do business. 



Funny things happen sometimes: I had some trees re- 

 turned by a lady in Ithaca. She bought a small order and 

 1 was very much surprised to have a letter back saying that 

 those two-year-old trees that I sent her were four-year-olds. 



