26 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



not be left on during summer, as it is durable only when 

 tied close to the trunk, when it harbors insects. Protectors 

 are sometimes made of cornstalks by passing wires through 

 them, but the labor required is probably sufficient to oifset 

 the cheapness of the material. Veneer protectors made 

 of cheap lumber are now manufactured for sale. They 

 are readily put on and are fairly satisfactory. Protectors 

 made of mosquito-wire netting are effectual but not 

 durable. 



Trees of which the trunks are not strong enough to sup- 

 port the heads should be staked, preferably by driving two 

 stakes on opposite sides of the tree and tying the trunk ta 

 each stake with a straw band or strip of cloth. 



29. Soil treatment for orchards. Ground planted to an 

 orchard should be used for orchard purposes primarily, and 

 should be given the treatment that best promotes the devel- 

 opment and fruitfulness of the trees. Cropping the orchard 

 for the crop's sake is only admissible, as a rule, when the 

 trees are so young that their roots do not fully occupy the' 

 ground (31). 



Orchard trees in the temperate zones usually complete 

 their season's wood growth before midsummer. The re- 

 mainder of the warm season is devoted to maturing the 

 young wood and the fruit, in forming flower buds and in 

 preparing food for the early growth of the following year. 

 In climates of severe winters, hardiness of the trees de- 

 pends much upon complete maturity of the wood in au- 

 tumn. 



The soil of the orchard should, therefore, be treated to 

 conserve soil moisture during spring and early summer, 

 and to promote wood maturity during late summer and 

 autumn. Tillage should usually begin early in the spring, 



