Fruit Growing 13 



Depth in Planting Fruit Trees. 



/ haz'c been advised to plant the bud scar above ground in a zoet 

 country. Is that right F 



On ordinary good loam, plant the tree so that it will stand about 

 the same as it did in the nursery: a little lower, perhaps, but not much. 

 The bud scar should be a little above the surface. It is somewhat 

 less likely to give trouble by decay in the upset tissue. If the soil is 

 heavy and wet, plant higher, perhaps, than the nursery soil-mark, but 

 not much. In light, sandy soil, plant lower — even from four to six 

 inches lower — than in the nursery sometimes. In this case the bud- 

 scar is below the surface, but that does not matter in a light, dry 

 soil which does not retain moisture near the surface. 



Fruit Trees in a Wet Place. 



One part of my orchard is low and wet, much scale and old trees 

 loose. Will much spraying be a cure and can I use posts to hold the 

 old trees firm, or would you take out and put in Bartlctt pears? 



Spraying would kill the scale but no spraying will make a tree 

 satisfactory in inhospitable soil. As pears will endure wet places 

 better than apples, it would seem to be wise to make the substitution, 

 providing the situation is not too bad for any fruit tree. In that case 

 you can use it for a summer vegetable patch. 



Cutting Back at Planting. 



/ have planted a lot of one-year-old cherry trees and zvould like to 

 know if I should cut them down the same as the apple tree? I have 

 also planted a lot of walnut trees. Shall I cut them off? 



Yes for the cherries and no for the walnuts — although we have to 

 admit that some planters hold for cutting back the walnuts also. If 

 you do cut back the walnuts, let them have about twice the height of 

 stem you give the cherries and cover the exposed pith with wax or 

 paint. 



Branching Young Fruit Trees. 



It is the practice in this locality to wrap all young trees to a point 

 24 inches above the bud, for the purpose of protection against rabbits, 

 to protect the bark from the sun and to prevent growth of sprouts. These 

 wrappings are kept on in definitely, the rule being that no sprouting is to 

 be permitted below the 34-inch mark. Is there any virtue in this, and 

 why is it done? 



The wrapping is desirable both to protect them from rabbits and 

 from sunburn, and either this or whitewash or some other form of 

 protection should certainly be employed against the latter trouble. It 

 is not desirable to have all the branches emerge at the same point, 

 either 24 from the ground or at some lower level, as is preferable in 

 interior situations, but branches should be distributed up and down 



