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the trees. This banking not only protects the tree from 

 mice but it keeps the water from running or standing around 

 it. Then again if it is an unusually severe winter and kills 

 the tender tree back, it will not usually kill it below the top 

 of the mound. That leaves plenty of live wood between 

 the bud and the top of the mound, from which new limbs 

 will start, and a new head can be formed from one of these. 



The writer used to raise a crop of corn or potatoes m 

 the orchard the first year and gives clean cultivation to all 

 the land every year after until the last of July or first of 

 August. Experience has taught that it is mighty hard in 

 this locality to raise a cover crop after the trees are three or 

 four years old, that will add much humus to the soil. So 

 now am trying to raise some legumes the firs't few years to 

 store up humus for the orchard later. 



The second spring cut off one-half or two- thirds of tho 

 last years growth. Along in August or the first of Septem- 

 het thin out the branches where they are too thick. From 

 this time until time of fruiting do not allow the branches to 

 become too thick for it is fruit that we are after. If the head 

 is thick the fruit may set but it will drop. After the trees 

 come into bearing they need very little trimming, except to 

 cut off broken limbs and cut out the dead wood, with a little 

 thinning of the head occasionally. 



ORDER OF SEASON'S WORK. 

 Along in February we begin to trim the old trees leav- 

 ing the young ones until the last, as they are more apt to be 

 killed back, and the longer we can leave them the plainer 

 they show where they are killed. We pick up the brush on 

 a wooden shod sled without any pole in it. This brings the 

 load near the ground and takes very little room in turning. 

 Just as soon as it does not freeze much during the night, w^ 

 begin to spray with lime-sulfur. In other words, we leave it 

 just as long as possible and still get through before the leaves 

 get started too much. We then plant what trees we havj 

 bought. This should be completed in April, but in favorable 

 seasons if the work is not finished before the 10th or 12th of 



