STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 25 



straw. Many trees are destroyed every year by having their 

 roots dried so much that they do not leave out till July, or 

 even August, as I have had another lot from another nursery 

 do the past year. Their vitality is destroyed, and the most 

 of them are worthless. 



Settestg out the Teees. 



While setting out the trees four men were employed, to 

 each of whom was assigned a special duty. One assorted 

 the trees and distributed them ; another shaped the hole ; 

 another held the tree, while the fourth arranged the roots, 

 carefully filling the earth under the trunks and roots, so the 

 tree would stand erect without any soil over the roots. Some 

 soil was next thrown over the roots, followed by a little 

 manure and soil, the whole being carefully pressed down. 

 By this division of labor, a large number of trees may be 

 carefully planted in a single day, while in no case was any 

 manure placed in immediate contact with the roots. 



Previous to setting the trees, with a sharp axe I cut off, on 

 a block, with a slanting stroke, all tap-roots and any other 

 roots that had been bruised. I was also careful to turn the 

 side of the tree to the north from which any large branch had 

 been cut close to the stock. Unless this is done, it will be 

 much exposed to the sunscald. I leaned the stocks very 

 slightly to the south for the same reason. Not a few trees 

 are killed by the dreaded sunscald simply by leaning to the 

 northeast. A few trees which after all these precautions are 

 thus exposed, I protect by loosely winding around the trunk 

 some old rags. 



The next step was to drive down two cedar stakes, to one 

 or both of which the tree was fastened by spunky arn. Many 

 young trees are killed by being racked back and forth with 

 the wind. 



After the trees had all been set, I clij^ped the extremities 

 of the long branches, and then carefully covered every wound 

 and bruise with soft grafting wax. No twig was too small 

 to be passed over, and I went over the orchard several times 



