ORCHARD CULTIVATION. 81 



the pruner have a little memorandum, and enter therein 

 the number of such trees in each row, giving also the num- 

 ber of the row and the variety. By this means the planter 

 will know exactly, how many trees of each variety he 

 will need, and in what rows the vacancies occur, and all 

 without the expense and trouble of a recount. 



The more effectually to insure the proper substitution, 

 the faulty trees should be pulled up, broken down, or 1 

 otherwise destroyed. 



HEIGHT OF HEAD. 



There is some diversity of opinion in regard to the 

 height of the head of a tree ; or rather at what height the 

 head should be allowed to commence to form. We think 

 three feet the proper height. Allowing the limbs to stand 

 at this point, they will naturally strike upward at an 

 acute angle with the stem, and thus allow room enough 

 to cultivate around them with a mule or low horse. And 

 this is important to the cultivator ; for if the trees, instead 

 of being plowed around, have to be dug or spaded, the 

 expense will be considerably increased. 



The arguments advanced by those who advocate low 

 heads are. two. First : that the fruit is nearer the ground, 

 more easily picked, and not so likely to break down the 

 branches. Second : that the low heads withstand the 

 storm better, and are not so easily blown down. But 

 the answer to all this is, that when the heads are low, the 

 fruit does not ripen early or well on the low branches, 

 and is generally small in size and inferior in quality. In 

 time, the lower branches for the want of sufficient air and 

 light, die, and have to be removed, thus leaving the tree 

 with less bearing wood or in worse shape than if it had 

 been trimmed up to the proper height at first. In regard 

 to the exemption from injury by storms, it is ascertained, 

 from experience and observation, that very few trees are 

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