32 FRUIT-GROWING 



as a result are shy about stretching their young 

 limbs and going about their business of making 

 fruit-bearing trees. I feel sorry for them, but 

 I would rather not have them in my family. 



The ideal young tree is one with a clean 

 straight trunk, unbranched if it is a yearling, 

 well branched with sturdy limbs if it is two 

 years old. The root system should not be too 

 large but it must be perfect. There is abso- 

 lutely no advantage in a great sprawling mass 

 of roots, but there is a decided disadvantage if 

 the roots, regardless of their size, have been 

 torn or broken either in digging or packing. 



I remember that I once selected some young 

 trees in a small nursery for a friend of mine. 

 They were well grown specimens, free from in- 

 sects and disease. When they were delivered 

 to my friend they were worthless for planting 

 as they had been " pulled" instead of being dug 

 and the roots were all badly damaged. What 

 had been exceptionally fine nursery trees had 

 been ruined by the carelessness of the nurs- 

 eryman in removing them from the ground. 

 All nursery stock grown in this country is sup- 

 posed to be inspected by the proper officer in 

 the state where it is grown. I use the word 

 "supposed" advisedly. As a matter of fact 

 much of the so-called nursery inspection is a 

 farce, and the planter will do well to do a little 

 inspecting on his own account. 



