STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 149 



need wonder that trees carted into town with short roots exposed to 

 dry air, often fail to grow or lead a precarious life for years. Study 

 the structure and the physiology of a tree and treat it as one who 

 always makes everything thrive which he cares for. 



Chairman. How shall we care for the trees after planting? 



Apple Tree. To set a tree so as to ensure its thrifty growth, 

 place it but little deeper than it was while growing. Have the soil 

 well pulverized and pack it closel}^ about the tree. 



After all this trouble, do not court disappointment in the slow 

 growth or in the death of a favorite tree, but dig or rake the ground 

 every week or two, all summer for three to five years for a distance 

 of four feet or more each way from the tree. If this is impracti- 

 cable, place a mulch of something covering the space above mentioned. 



Chairman. After planting, trees sometimes becomes too thick. 

 What shall we do? 



Pear Tree. A tree, like a child, is a living, organized being and 

 keeps changing as long as life lasts. It is not best merely to set as 

 many trees as we expect to remain for a life time, but plant them 

 more thickly with a view to removal. Here is where 99 out of 100 

 fail. They do not keep an eye on the growth and trim or remove 

 trees until they have crowded and damaged each other beyond re- 

 covery. In most instances, a few large, well developed trees should 

 grow where many small ones were planted years before. It needs 

 courage and judgment to remove some favorite trees that others maj^ 

 continue to spread and make a symmetrical growth. 



Chairman. Next will follow something in reference to the flow- 

 ers of trees. 



Wild Cherry. With rare exceptions, our trees bear flowers which 

 are inconspicuous. The elms and the maples produce flowers in 

 spring before the leaves appear. Most have the staminate and 

 pistillate flowers on different parts of the tree or on different trees. 

 The wind or gravity cai'ries the pollen to the pistil, so there is no 

 need of sweet orders or a gaj^ display of flowers to attract bees and 

 butterflies and moths to carry the pollen. Compensation is well 

 displayed in nature. If the tree has not gorgeous or fragrant flow- 

 ers, it has a large size and often a beautiful form. 



Chairman. We should learn to love trees and to associate them 

 with the generous hand who planted and cared for them. 



Mountain Ash. I will tell you something which was written by 

 Washington Irving : ''There is something noble, simple and pure in 



