FRUIT NOTES - Decamber, 1938 



W. H. Thies 

 Extension Horticulturist 



New Roots for Hurricanti-Damased Treas 



Roots of blown-over trees which were put back into the ground bufore 

 they dried seriously started a new root system promptly, and thesis new roots 

 are growing at the present time. They will continue to grow slowly during 

 much of the winter if the soil about them is not actually frozen. The tendency, 

 howijviir, is toward the formation of thick bunchus of fibrous roots ri^thcir than 

 heavier roots that v;ould reach out rapidly to replace the extensivu root sys- 

 tem lost. Young nursery treos, on the othtsr hand, push out thuir main roots 

 with surprising rapidity. When the trees are growing well thuy will extend 

 their roots two feet or more per year. 



'jiihile past experiuncu with blown-over truos is limited, it would swem 

 sound to expect more r^pid rocovory of a be.^ring tree if nursery tresis or seed- 

 lings wurc plunt'^d on thu damu^^-d sido and inarchud into the trunk above. From 

 one nursery tree, for a small trunk, to three or even four, for a large trunk, 

 would seem to be all tn^/b could be done in that direction. Largo treus will 

 need help more than small on^s and even one nursery tree inarched into a largw 

 trunk should be of material help. One-year-old whips probably Vi/ill graft b'jt - 

 ter _nd root more re3.dily th:.n larger two-year-olds. If tv/o -year -old trees 

 are used, how-^ver, it would setm best to graft several branches into the trunk 

 to distribute the food supply somewhat from the start. 



Inarched trees grow most rapidly when they stand almost parallel with 

 the trunk. The advantage of planting them fur from the trunk and covering them 

 to develop scion roots along the buried whip, ie doubtful, for such trees do 

 not get off to oe good a start ^s trees planted vertically. The aim is to get 

 a strong outward development of main roots rather than a lot of fine roots near 

 the trunk. 



The best time to do inarching is early spring, as soon as the bark 

 begins to peel. This is some time before the buds start. The inlay method 

 of grafting probably is best. (See extension Leaflet 117, free upon applica- 

 tion to your County Agent or the State College.) 



R. A. Van Meter 



The Next Orchard 



It is not hj\rd to keep a fruit tree alive and reasonably thrifty. The 

 real job is to get'jJiihnual crops of fruit. Orchards have been planted on all 

 conceivable types of soil in Massachusetts — clay, sand of all descriptions, 

 gravel, and combinations of these, soils underlain by ledge, soils hadly 

 water logged, yes, everything from stone quarries to cranberry bogs. Natur- 

 ally, the infant mortality of trees is high and that moans good business for 

 the nurseryman. But the real problem for the would-be fruit grower is the 



Issued by the Extension Service, V/illard h. Munson, director, in furtherance 

 of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Massachusetts State College, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and County Extension Services cooperating. 



