state; pomoIvOGical society. 115 



just 6c per tree to set our standard apples, which we planted first, 

 and 5c each for the peaches, which followed ; and that we got the 

 price down to 4c per tree on the dwarf apple trees which were 

 the last set, I think you will agree that it was not an exorbitant 

 price. This included plowing and fitting the land, staking it off, 

 digging the holes, pruning the trees and setting them out, and 

 the difference in cost was largely due to the fact that the gang 

 of men setting the trees became more familiar, each with his 

 particular part of the program, and consequently could do it 

 more expeditiously. 



The field operations in setting were carried on as follows : A 

 gang of eight men and a foreman were used. The foreman and 

 one man went to the place where the trees were heeled in, for 

 a supply of trees, which were prepared for setting by pruning 

 back the main roots considerably, and packed them into two oil 

 barrels part full of water which were fastened on a stone boat 

 drawn by one horse. While this was going on, the rest of the 

 gang was setting stakes and digging holes. When the trees 

 arrived on the scene, the whole gang went to setting, the fore- 

 m.an distributing the trees and the eight men dividing into 

 pairs, one of whom set the tree while the other shovelled in the 

 earth. About 150 trees were carried at a load and when 

 these had been set out, the gang divided as before. In this way, 

 the operations went like clockwork and the trees arrived at the 

 holes with their roots thoroughly soaked and in the best possi- 

 ble condition to take hold and grow. And that the method was 

 satisfactory from the standpoint of the trees is pretty conclu- 

 sively shown from the records of the number that grew. Out 

 of 530 dwarfs set we lost 14; of 250 Hubbardstons, 6 failed to 

 grow ; of 500 Wealthy, 3 died, and of 650 Mcintosh, only 3 

 died. This is a remarkably good record in percentage of living 

 trees even for a good season, but in a season like that of IQ08, 

 when crops of all kinds suffered severely, I think it demon- 

 strates conclusively that our methods of planting were sound 

 not only theoretically but practically. 



Our method of pruning is peculiar, and in any event I do not 

 suppose it would be applicable to your Maine conditions. Both 

 of us are very strong advocates of low trees, believing that 

 practically every operation except cultivating can be more eco- 

 nomically an ] comfortably performed with the low headed 



