40 FIELD XOTKS OX APPLE CULTUKE. 



orous growth by a liberal application of marure, if tne 

 soil is not strong, and by frequently stirring the soil. 

 Keep off all insects. It will not be necessary to cut the 

 tree back to a mere stump, as is often done. After the 

 proper form of the young top is decided upon, pinch back 

 or cut off the tips of all the twigs, and repeat the opera- 

 tion during the whole season. If the tree has a very 

 strong leader it may be necessary to cut it off entirely. 

 If in a windy place, most slender trees will need to be 

 staked. I do not believe in the advice of many that it is 

 an injury to the tree to stake it. Some of the finest and 

 straightest trees I know were staked for the first two 

 years after being set. If staking can be avoided con- 

 veniently, it would, of course, be folly to resort to it. It 

 is a good practice to stamp a sod firmly against the tree 

 on the side towards which it leans. If the sod is large 

 and properly placed, it will often answer all the pur- 

 poses of a stake. There are two troubles connected with 

 staking : the string or band is apt to gall the tree, and 

 the stake protects the tree from the wind in one direction 

 only. To avoid the galling, I have found it best to use a 

 strip of ticking or flannel an inch or so wide, tied 

 snugly about the tree. Such a band will yield enough to 

 allow the trunk to expand with growth. Eye straw, 

 when cut before the grain is ripe, makes excellent bands. 

 A stake upon each side of the tree, with a band tied 

 across, will keep the tree in place much better than a 

 single stake. 



Trees which have been broken down by cattle, can often 

 be saved by tying them firmly against a stout stake both 

 below and above the break, and by thoroughly covering the 



