146 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Prof. Sears. I agree with what Prof. Pickett said about heading 

 trees. The first year we started our farm we tried to make low 

 heads out of one-year-old trees. Since then, being very strong 

 believers in low heads, we have bought entirely one-year trees. 

 I think personally that aside from the question of low heads, I 

 should favor one-year trees. You can get them cheaper, for one 

 thing, and your nursery is not going to put on the market anything 

 but the best and thriftiest growers. Out of a lot of trees he is 

 going to pick and put on the market only the thrifty ones. And 

 then I have always had a notion — this is merely theoretical — but 

 I have had a notion that a one-year tree will stand transplanting 

 a little more vigorously than a three-year-old tree. I know that 

 some want to plant year-old trees and some older trees than that, 

 and if they want to I am willing that they should. But I person- 

 ally do not believe in anything older than two years old. If a 

 person does not care for a low head, and does not care about the 

 price, I think the two-year-old tree is all right, but if I must shape 

 the plant, I should take the one-year-old tree. I suppose the 

 reason why they want the older tree is that it is nearer the bearing 

 age. I suppose sometimes that that is true, but I think, as a rule, 

 the one-year-old tree will come in about as quickly as the two-year- 

 old tree. I want to emphasize again what Prof. Pickett said about 

 trying to make a two-year-old tree low-headed — you can't do it . 



Question. Prof. Sears spoke about fertilizers. I want to know 

 what are the best fertilizers, and the quantities to use, and when 

 to use them. 



Mr. Wheeler. Prof. Sears, will you tell us about that? 



Prof. Sears. Mr. Chairman, it depends altogether on whom you 

 consult, and what you think you ought to use, and how much. 

 This covers a very wide range in every person's opinion, what ought 

 to be used, and the quantities. I think we are all fairly well agreed 

 that we want some amount of potash, and some kind of phosphoric 

 acid, but you ought not to need it in the bearing orchard. 



Now, on the other two fertilizers, the potash and phosphoric 

 acid fertilizers, I should say that on the potash there are the sul- 

 phate of potash and muriate of potash, and there is also a third 

 form, the low grade of sulphite of potash, but most people find 

 themselves between muriate and sulphate. There is a lot of 



