APPLES 



125 



Where grafts are planted in holes and not 

 in a furrow, the soil is best pressed up 

 against the lower part by means of a 

 "dibber." This dibber may be made by 

 sharpening a piece of hoe handle to a long 

 point and attaching to the top of the 

 handle a cross piece for convenience in 

 handling. An ideal dibber is made by 

 using the end of an old spade handle 

 containing the hand piece, together with 

 eight inches or so of the handle, prop- 

 erly sharpened to a point. See Fig. 4 for 

 a plain dibber without special hand piece. 

 The dibber is forced down in the ground 

 by the side of the graft and the soil 

 pressed up tightly against both root and 

 scion from bottom to top. Fig. 4 shows 

 how planting is done. 



The grafts cannot grow if air spaces 

 are left around the roots. Here is where 

 more people fail than at any other point. 

 Large growers of young apple trees are 

 disposed to plant most of their grafts 



in furrows for the reason that it is next 

 to Impossible to get workmen who will 

 do the work of planting properly by the 

 other method. Give the little trees good 

 culture, including two or three hoeings 

 during the summer, and with a fair sea- 

 son they will make a vigorous growth, 

 and attain a height of from two to three 

 feet. In rich soils they will grow even 

 higher. If trees are to be left until they 

 are two years old before transplanting, 

 it will be necessary to go through the 

 nursery early the following spring be- 

 fore growth begins and carefully trim 

 off all branches that may have formed 

 up to a height of 24 inches. 



The trees may be set in the orchard 

 after one season's growth, particularly if 

 they have attained a height of three to 

 four feet. If the soil has been fertile 

 and cultivation good they will occasionally 

 grow five feet the first season. A one- 

 year-old tree, three to four feet in height; 



Fig. 5. 



Young Apple Tree Top Worked by Means of the Whip Graft. The picture on 

 the right shows the pruning received two months after grafting. 



