2O Fruit Culture. 



from the depredations of rabbits and the effect of sleet. 

 When the tree leaves out these strips can be laid aside for 

 the following fall. Any one who says that this is too much 

 trouble ought to go without fruit all the days of their life. 

 To set young trees leaning to the south-west is also advis- 

 able, that the top will the sooner shade the trunk." 



HENRY MCALISTER, JR., in response to enquiries as to 

 whether or not he protected his trees in the winter, replied: 

 Only by shading the trunks from the rays of the sun. This 

 can be done either by placing a broad board against the 

 south side, or by loosely wrapping the trunk with a strip of 

 old gunny sack. Building paper coiled very loosely around 

 the trunk of a tree answers well ; anything to keep off the 

 sun when the sap is down. 



D. M. ROSE : I do not protect my trees further than by 

 throwing coarse manure around them, as a mulching, early 

 in the winter ; this keeps them back in the spring, and also 

 keeps down grass and other injurious growths. 



J. S. PERKEY : I advise mulching trees to a depth of 

 from twelve to eighteen inches after the first hard frost. By 

 so doing the frost is retained about the roots, thereby pre- 

 venting a premature rising of the sap and also protecting 

 the buds from late frosts. I consider mulching very essen- 

 tial, even in the spring when young trees are planted. Coarse 

 litter should be used, such as rotten straw, etc., but in no 

 instance use fresh stable manure. Mulch three or four 

 inches deep from three to four feet away from the body of 

 the tree. In addition to protecting the roots near the sur- 

 face from the intense heat and dry winds which sometimes 

 prevail during the summer months, the mulching serves as 

 a fertilizer. 



G. W. WEBSTER : Do not protect by wrapping, etc., in 

 winter. It only makes a tree tender. 



D. M. ROSE : Protect your trees by mulching after the 

 ground freezes. It keeps back blossoming in the spring 

 until all danger from frost is over. 



