THE APPLE. 81 



upon this opportunity for making a connection between the root 

 and top in the cambium layer, and the scions increase in size until 

 finally they close up and make a covering as good as the original 

 bark. 



Mulching. The advantage of a mulch around trees is not 

 generally appreciated. It checks evaporation and prevents the 

 running off of water which allows it to soak into the land. It 

 helps to equalize the moisture in the soil throughout the growing 

 season, and prevents root-killing in winter. It is of the greatest 

 assistance in rather dry locations, where its use makes success 

 possible with many varieties that otherwise would be complete 

 failures. In almost any soil in the Northwest the chances of trees 

 living and doing well would be increased by the use of a mulch 

 around them, but this is especially true of sandy land and southern 

 exposures. It is generally best to cultivate the land around trees 

 when they are small ; but if they are set on sod land, or after they 

 begin to bear, or if they suffer from drouth, they should be heavily 

 mulched at once, and this should be renewed as often as necessary, 

 to keep a covering five or six inches in depth on the ground at all 

 times extending at least four feet on all sides from the tree, and 

 in the case of larger trees extending out as far as the branches. 

 This mulch may consist of any litter, straw, bagasse, hardwood 

 sawdust, brush, weeds and grape trimmings, and even coal ashes 

 are good for this purpose. 



Manuring. Young orchards are sometimes injured by too 

 much man-ire, which stimulates a late autumn growth that may so 

 weaken the tree that it may be winterkilled. But if crops are 

 grown in an orchard enough manure must be added to put back the 

 plant food carried off in the crop. After trees begin to bear fruit 

 they need manuring, and without it they are very liable to run out. 

 All manures for orchards should be applied to the land during the 

 time between the fall of the leaves in the autumn and their appear- 

 ance again in the spring. In case the manure is* well- rotted it 

 should be applied in the spring. Barnyard manure is as good as 

 anything for this purpose. Some soils, however, will maintain 

 their fertility without manure, providing a crop of clover is plowed 

 in every few years. 



Sunscald. This is the name given to a condition of trees 

 when the bark becomes dead on the southern or southwest sides of 

 trees (Pig. 55) . This is a very serious cause of loss of trees in 

 high latitudes, and all trees should be protected against it. It is 

 probably due to the action of the sun in starting the growth on the 

 southwest side of the trees and then being suddenly checked by 

 the cold. It is most liable to occur in the latter part of winter. 

 Some varieties are much more liable to this trouble than others. 

 Trees that incline to the northwest, so that the sun's rays fall di- 

 rectly on the trunk, are very liable to it. If trees are planted and 

 kept inclined to the southwest until the t; anches shade the trunk, 

 they will not be affected. Anything that shades the trunk pre- 



