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Tha liVhy b.nd How of Inarching 



There has been much discussion among Massachusetts grovi^ers this 

 spring cuncerning the merits of inarching, the best method of performing 

 the operation, and the kinds of trees most likely to benefit. Inarching 

 raay be considered as a furm of insurance. It provides a means of bolstar- 

 ing up a damaged tree, as for oxample, a tree v/hose roots hava bcon badly 

 broken by the ha ricane or seriously handicapped by tht.- activities ^f micQ 

 under ground. No one can be suro th^^t r. given tree will recover pror^ptly 

 if inarched. Neither can ho diagnose with certainty the condition of tho 

 present root system and its ability to devtilop now roots without inarching. 

 Vvith thoso facts in mind we might look upon the planting of a young tree 

 alongside a damaged bearing tree merely as a "shot in the dark" It may 

 or may not justify the expense. But when we consider that thrifty young 

 J/cIntosh trees muy be bought for 10 cents apiece and that such a tree may 

 be inarched in half an hour or less, it looks as if the expense and effort 

 aro well- v,'jrth considering where the roots on ona side of the tree are badly 

 broken, iiither one or two year old traos nay be used. 



One simple method of inarching is as follows. Dig a hole a little 

 distance from the trunk in urder that tho root system of the young tree may 

 have a butter chance to develop. Lay the young tree in the hole, bending 

 the top in such way xhat it will boiv upwc^rd leaving it more or less parallel 

 with the trunk of the tree to be inarched. The inlay method of grc^fting is 

 recoinmended. This involves cutting out a rectangular section of the bark 

 from the trunk, tho vi/idth corresponding to the diameter of the young tree. 

 The latter is cut off squc^rely and the side tov^ard the trunk is sliced deep- 

 ly and smoothly to a point 4 or 5 inches from the tip. The graft is then 

 completed by tacking with 2 flat headed brads (18 to 20 gauge) and waxed as 

 in top grafting. As buds on the young tree develop thoy should be rubbed 

 off since any branches which form will make the young tree less efficient 

 as a channel between the injured true w^nd the newly developing root system. 



Items from H ere and There 



Peach Trees in a Hen Yard . That hens are not color blind is evidenced by 

 a recent observation in a young peach and apple orchard used cs a poultry 

 range. It so happened that the area w^s practically devoid of grass and for 

 that reason the hens seemed uspeci..^±ly interested in green feed. Finding 

 notning more attractive tlian the j^.-..^-r. bark of the young peach trees they 

 stripped several of thc;m, leaving the apple trees untouched. This bUf-,gests 

 one more reason for not trying to oper<.to an orchard in close ^^.Toximity to 

 a heavy concentration of hens. One of the other reasons is that most hen 

 yard orchards are sprayed so inefficiently that they produce a bigger return 

 from shade than from fruit. 



M-'de rn Id eas in an Old B^ok . In browsing through a textbook of Pomology 

 written by S. E. Todd in 1871 we find such things as these* A discussion 

 of tae value of mulching an orch..rd, detailed directions for pruning a tree 

 accjrding to the central leader system, and suggestions for supporting trees 

 in such way that they will not bo blown oVer by high vdnds. In matters of 

 soil ruanagoment .Jid troo care the b^ok appears quite modern in many respects. 

 But when it ernes tj pest c./ntrjl the author is groping hopelessly in the 

 dark. He hasn't the slightest idea wlqat causes fire blight and his principle 

 contribution to insect control is .^ series of tino consuming recomiTiendations 

 which involved a tremendous amount of hand labor. On one page he uses the 

 expr>.ssion, "catch 'em and kill 'en" nj less than 6 times. 



