42 VARIETIES AND NURSERY STOCK 



seems as important with apple trees or pear trees as with cabbage 

 plants or celerj^ plants, where it is recognized as being of practi- 

 cal importance. 



Older Trees. — On the other side of the question there are three 

 arguments. The first one is that the older trees will come into 

 bearing more quickly. Personally we should want considerably 

 more evidence than is at present available before accepting this. 

 Second, there seems to be a feeling among the advocates of the 

 two year tree that they are getting more for their money. When 

 they get an orchard of two year trees set out it makes some show- 

 ing, while these little, one year whips, particularly when headed 

 at eighteen inches to three feet, certainly do not look imposing. 

 Third, there is, however, one type of conditions under which the 

 two year tree will give better results than the one year, and that 

 is Avliere the soil conditions (fertility, humus content, moisture, 

 etc.) are poor. Under these conditions the tree will grow but 

 little, yet since the head of the two year tree is already formed 

 the result is not serious. With the one year tree, however, the 

 poor growth is likely to result in poorly distributed branches which 

 can never be made to form a satisfactory head. We would cer- 

 tainly set two year trees under poor soil conditions. 



The Best Size or Grade of Trees. — On this point the writer 

 is quite decidedly in favor of the medium grade or size, say a four 

 or five foot one year tree or a five to six foot two year tree. The 

 big, overgrown tree is apt to have poorer buds on it, particularly 

 if it is to be headed low, and it costs much more (Fig. 10). On 

 the other hand, the trees of very small size are not thrifty and 

 are frequently not as well shaped. 



What Price Shall We Pay?— Enough to insure well-grown 

 and well-packed stock. There is no economy in stock which is 

 cheap in both price and quality. On the other hand, there is 

 no use in paying the prices that are frequently asked. Of 

 course, it is assumed that any man who has ambition and 

 sense enough to want to plant out a large orchard will have 

 too much sense to buy his stock from a tree agent. Where one is 

 setting only a half dozen trees he can perhaps stand the prices 

 of these agents, but even then he can probably do better to buy 

 direct from the firm. 



