62 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



for the roots to spread out and still room beyond that for them 

 to develo]) for a couple of years. 



Ques. Would you loosen up the soil in the bottom of the 

 hole you made for that tree ? 



Ans. Yes, if the soil is a little bit hard. If it is a close sub- 

 soil, I would send the diggers down with a pick as far as they 

 couM go with it after digging the hole. It is best in planting 

 a tree to take time and pains. 



Ques. Would you advise dynamite for making the holes? 



Ans. I haven't had any experience with dynamite. I think 

 it depends on the character of your soil. If you have a sub- 

 soil that is of a gravelly loam nature, even if there is a little 

 clay in it, I should not think it would pay to use dynamite. I 

 think you can do it cheaper by hand digging. But if you have 

 a pretty hard, close, tight subsoil, it might then be desirable to 

 use dynamite. I should say it would not pay in such soil as 

 trees ought really to be planted in. 



Ques. Would you plant the tree deep enough to cover the 

 bud ? 



Ans. Yes ; I should set that tree down at least two inches. 

 I want to be sure that the tree has roots down where they can 

 get moisture in a dry time. If we set our trees too shallow and 

 have three or four years of continued summer drought, the 

 roots will be injured. I prefer to set them deep, particularly in 

 soils naturally well drained, because then they are safe from 

 drought, if they are down where the roots can go into a porous 

 subsoil. 



Ques. Would you dig into a clay subsoil for the sake of 

 setting the tree deep? 



Ans. If the clay subsoil is close I should not dare open it 

 very much for the reason that there will be danger of the water 

 settling and not getting away fast enough. When the subsoil 

 is close enough to hold water I would not set the trees quite so 

 deep. 



On the next tree, which I have here, one branch is so situated 

 against the side that there is danger of its coming ofip, and I 

 would take it ofif now. It seems like taking off a valuable part 

 of the tree, but it is much better to do this now than to have 

 the branch break off fifteen or twenty years from now. This 

 tree is too high headed to suit me, but if you in Maine do not 



