CHAPTER V 

 THE ORCHARD PLANT 



FEW persons who attempt to plant and grow trees 

 realize what delicate organisms they are, and still fewer 

 persons have a correct conception of how plants take 

 their food from soil and air, how the crude food materials 

 are made over in the leaves, and of the other numerous 

 life processes. Considering the delicate nature and in- 

 tricate structure of plants and the lack of information on 

 the subject, it is surprising to note the degree of success 

 to which the business of orcharding has attained. We 

 may well take the time, then, to make a somewhat hasty 

 sketch of the make-up of the orchard plant. 



For our purpose a tree may be divided into three parts, 

 roots, stems, and leaves. 



The Roots 



Roots serve the two principal purposes of anchoring 

 the tree, and thus holding it in place, and of taking plant - 

 food from the soil. 



The roots of trees have a greater spread than is com- 

 monly realized; ordinarily it is safe to assume that the 

 spread of the roots is greater than that of the branches. 

 The length of roots depends on the nature of the soil 



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