STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 6l 



Ques. Would it be safe to set the tree as low as that where 

 there is so much snow as we have in this State ? 



Ans. Well, that is rather a difficult question for me to 

 answer, not having had the experience of deep snow, but my 

 opinion is that by properly pruning these low headed trees, 

 cutting on the lower side as they grow older, you will so 

 strengthen the branches that they will hold up a pretty heavy 

 body of snow. My own experience with low headed trees is 

 that I am getting quite an upright growth. The branch en- 

 larges and continually grows stronger, and I am careful to 

 prune the under side of the branches in order to throw the 

 growth upward and strengthen the growth below. 



Ques. How long would you continue to do that heavy 

 pruning ? 



Ans. I wouldn't prune a tree at all after I had set it out, 

 for five years at least. I would shape the tree as perfectly as 

 I could, and then do no pruning except, if a branch goes in the 

 wrong direction, to slip it out. 



I will take now a tree that satisfies me. This is a whole 

 rooted tree ; it is a seedling bud. You can see the difference be- 

 tween this and a piece root tree. The piece root tree must 

 have a little time to start and we do not want to be obliged to 

 give our trees time. When we put a tree into the ground we 

 want that tree to forge right ahead, from the time it is planted. 

 The piece root tree must have a little time to re-establish a 

 strong root system from the pruning, while the whole rooted 

 tree goes right ahead. 



We will now prune the whole rooted tree. Taking into con- 

 sideration the top, I should say, cut back the roots of this tree 

 about one-third, right around. Cut every root on the tree. 

 Why? Because even in this system of finely rooted tree you 

 want to get just as much root as you can and every cut you 

 make will cause a new system of roots to be thrown out. In 

 six months time you will be surprised to see what a splendid 

 root system the tree will have. 



Ques. How large and how deep a hole would you dig for 

 that tree? 



Ans. I would like to have a hole at least 24 inches wide and 

 at least eighteen or twenty inches deep. Have plenty of room 



