34 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



PLANTING AND PRUNING 



" The roots shoiild never be exposed for any 

 length of time to the sun and wind, and should 

 always go into the soil wet. In the morning, we 

 take up about the number of trees that can be 

 planted before noon and prune the roots. These 

 are placed on a sled or wagon anci covered at once 

 with straw, carpet, or burlap and water thrown 

 over the entire bundle until thoroughly wet. Im- 

 mediately after transplanting, the trees should be 

 well mulched with hay, straw, manure, or any 

 material not too coarse. This mulching is essen- 

 tial, no- matter whether the clean culture or the 

 sod mulch system is to be followed. The mulch 

 not only holds moisture around the roots, but keeps 

 the soil loose and mellow. A good tree well planted 

 and well mulched will make a surprising growth 

 the first year. I have meas-ured as much as 5 feet 

 in our own orchard in soil considered poor. 



" Pruning is the one operation of the orchard 

 most neglected or improperly done. The roots 

 require little pruning, because 50 per cent or more 

 of the root system is left in the soil, even w4th the 

 most careful digging. All broken or mangled roots 

 should be cut off smoothly back to solid wood, in 

 order to give the wounds a chance to heal readily. 

 A root much longer than the others may be cut 

 back for the sake of symmetry and ease of trans- 

 planting. 



WHY TOP IS CUT BACK 



" After transplanting, the top is cut back to cor- 

 respond to the loss of roots. Otherwise the 

 evaporation of moisture from the top may be more 



