SETTING THE GROVE. 261 



and reaching to them. They may be made by plowing 

 a deep furrow and deepening with a shovel to ten or 

 twelve inches. The material is carefully distributed and 

 slightly mixed with the earth at the bottom of the fur- 

 rows; the water from the irrigating furrows keeping 

 this always moist, it is available as soon as reached by 

 the rootlets. This also tends to deep rooting. Thorough 

 irrigation should follow planting every twelve or fifteen 

 days during the first summer. The whole space between 

 the rows should be thoroughly and deeply wet not 

 merely a narrow strip on each side of the rows. I have 

 traced roots that have grown during the first summer 

 over six feet from the tree and these should be well sup- 

 plied with moisture at all times. 



"The advantage claimed for the Reed method is that it 

 retains the top of the tree, and makes use of it immedi- 

 ately. This retention of nearly all the leaves and 

 branches enables trees under proper conditions to pro- 

 duce a much more vigorous growth than under the ordi 

 nary system of severe pruning, when moved from the 

 nursery. The best care is essential to success in this 

 method. If trees are to receive poor or only ordinary 

 treatment after being set in the orchard, the common 

 method of severe pruning is best. Mr. Heed himself prunes 

 back any trees that show lack of vigor after being trans- 

 planted, watered and fertilized. 



"The good start given to trees by the Reed method 

 is shown in their size, vigor and productiveness for an 

 indefinite time, and it is also claimed that a crop of 

 oranges is obtained, without injury to the trees, one year 

 earlier than if they were planted by the usual method. 

 Trees thus planted (on the Reed system) produced over 

 one hundred boxes of oranges on ten acres the second 



