-2- 



faulty technique, and now that the season for actual raising of trees is neces- 

 sarily over, it will be well to go ov^ir every tree again and insure the effort 

 already expended. Then there is the matter of mouse control. It would be dif- 

 ficult to imagine more favorable conditions for the girdling of roots this 

 winter. And mice are unusually plentiful. The new zinc phosphide bait is 

 inexpensive and very effective if properly placed. 



In conclusion, the "patient" under discussion is very sick. Heroic 

 measures v/ill be required. No medicine man or magic wand can do the trick. 

 Only as we cooperate with nature in restoring normal grov/ing conditions can 

 we expect to bring the patient back to health and a productive future. 



Anchorage Angle Important 



Holding a tree in an upright position by means of wires attached to 

 stakes in the ground brings into play a simple principle in physics which can 

 be illustrated by the pull on a sled rope. With the rope parallel to the ground, 

 a pull has its maximum effectiveness because it is in the direction in v/hich the 

 sled moves. With the rope at right angles to the ground, a pull is entirely 

 ineffective in moving the sled forward because it has no component whatever in 

 that direction. But v/hen the rope is at an angle between thos>^ two positions, 

 a pull has some effect insofar as forward movement is concerned, the effect 

 incre<«.sing as the angle between the rope and the ground lev^l is decreased. 

 All this is self evident. But hov; does it apply to the effectiveness of guy 

 lines? 



Let's assume that the tree is the sled, that the wire is the sled rope- 

 and then, instead of us holding the sled rope, we'll let the stake do it. And 

 of course, the tree is merely to be held where it is. For maximum effectiveness, 

 the wire like the sled rope should be parallel to the ground, and it must be 

 attached at a high level in the tree. But obviously, wo can't have the wire 

 parallel to the ground. The next bast thing is to approach the parallel posi- 

 tion by placing the staku as far as practicable from the trunk. Beneath the 

 tips of the branches is a convenient comprorrd.se, keeping in mind the necessity 

 of getting through the orchard next summer with the sprayer. Let's forget 

 about mowing, for the tine being. Observations show that soks growers have 

 placed the stakes altogether too close to the tree, "because they'd interfere 

 too much with mowing the grass." No wonder that some of the screv; eyes have 

 Eilready straightened out, and that stakes have been partially pulled out. 



Here are some actual Angle-Tension relationships, v/hich will recall to 

 readers of Fruit Notes a bit of high school trigonometry. An angle of 30° 

 between the wire and the ground level means -that iha" ©ff-eotiru puil oo tho - 

 ■ true, is :»bvut 4/5 %h(j tlht-i^n on the wire.' 4in''angl<» of 45*^ between <»iri;» 

 and .thci '-feround level means an effective pull about 2/3 that of the tension, 

 while a 60^ angle gives an effective pull of only l/Z the tension and a 75° 

 angle, l/4 the tension. Then to make natters still worse, if the tree is 

 shifted appreciably away from the stake, or if the stake is pulled toward 

 the tree, the anchorage is further endangered. What we have been trying to 

 say is this: V^at's worth doing at all is v/orth doing well. And while we're 

 going to the expense of buying wire and perhaps rubber hose to prevent bark 

 injury, to say nothing of payiEg out good money for labor, let's see if our 

 anchorage is secure. The guy lines being placed this fall will probi..bly be 

 essential to the welfare of the tree for at least three, and perhaps five ytears. 



Treating Fruit Tree Wounds 



As a result of the September hurricane, there is greater need at present 

 for wound dressings than in most seasons. In order to protect tree wounds a- 



