No. 4.] COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING. 43 



18 inches from the ground, — all of thcni, in fact, except 

 the dwarf apjiles, which were headed at 12 inches, and a 

 small section of peaches, which we headed at (> inches; and 

 we have heen so much pleased with the growth of this G- 

 inch hlock, that, unless we get some new light on the subject, 

 a large part of those to be set in 1009 will be headed at this 

 height. They have certainly made a beautiful growth, and 

 are shaping up into fine trees. To head in this way it is 

 almost imperative that one-year trees be set. We used one- 

 year trees the past season, whenever we could get them ; but 

 as the enterprise was started late, we had to take two-year 

 trees of some varieties, and invariably the one-year tree out- 

 grew the two-year. This is very natural, since the " shock " 

 from transplanting (if we nu\v call it that) would be greater 

 with an older tree; and in our scheme of low heads, when 

 the one-year tree is cut back to 18 inches we still have strong, 

 vigorous buds for growth ; while in the two-year trees the 

 buds are all two years old on the trunk which is left, and 

 do not push nearly so vigorously nor so evenly as on the 

 one-year trees. It seems to me that practically all the argu- 

 ments are in favor of the younger trees, and I should use 

 them even if I were heading higher. 



So far as the question of the low head is concerned, it 

 seems to me that practically every argument is in its favor 

 except the one of convenience in cultivation; and this can 

 be gotten around by having orchard tools which can be 

 spread out, so as to work some distance on either side of 

 the team. A disc harrow, or any other, which is in two 

 sections, can be separated so as to work well under the trees 

 while allowing the team to ]iass by without injuring them; 

 and, though some hand labor will be needed, the cost of this 

 will not be one-tenth what will be saved on the other oj^era- 

 tions of the orcliarcl. Tn ])rnuing, spraying and especially 

 in harvesting the crop, the argument is all on the side of 

 the low trees; and in these days, when we either have, or 

 must soon expect to have, the San Jose scale in our orchard, 

 we cannot afford to neglect any measure which will help us 

 in the fight. 



I am aware that in <liscussing the question of varieties T 



