CHEAP PLANTS MOST EXPENSIVE. 273 



doxically, the most expensive. A reliable nursery- 

 man has his reputation at stake, and, when it is 

 left to his judgment to select, will send to his cus- 

 tomers only trees of good quality, and those which 

 are properly labelled. But, as all dealers are not 

 of this class, it will be well for all to know the 

 general points of excellence in a tree. 



For apples we should prefer those of four or five 

 years' growth from the bud : they then have uni- 

 formly sufficient strength to succeed. It is a great 

 trial of patience to find that a few, which are grow- 

 ing rapidly, are shading and crowding out their poor 

 neighbors. A certain proportion will always be 

 feeble and sickly, which results, probably, from the 

 seed from which the stock was raised. This is 

 not so apparent in infancy as after three or four 

 years, as the strong tree gains over the weak a little 

 every year. Thus one tree, which at two years 

 seems scarcely inferior to another, often at the latter 

 age requires a year or two more of nursing before 

 planting in the orchard. The profit to the producer 

 is, of course, greater to dispose of them while young; 

 but that does not subserve the interest of the pur- 

 chaser. 



Many apple trees are sold which are grafted at 

 the root. These may or may not be valuable, ac- 

 cording to the method in which the work has been 

 performed. Every seedling plant has a root, or 

 descending axis ; and a stem, or ascending axis. 



