SETTIisG THE TREES. — DISTANCES. 13 



CHAPTER II. 



SETTING THE TREES. -DISTANCES. 



Care in setting the trees, as in all other operations in 

 the orchard, is imperative. The shiftless orchardist can- 

 not succeed. Thorough-going methods alone bring profit. 

 Trees should make a good growth the first season. If 

 they are weak during the first summer they will likely 

 become the prey of borers, or they will dwindle for a 

 few years and die. The first requisite in setting is to 

 trim smoothly all broken roots. It is customary to cut 

 off the ends of the roots iu a sloping manner from the 

 inside outwards, so that the wound will rest firmly upon 

 the soil. It is not necessary that a tree possess many 

 fine roots when transplanted. Such roots are very liable 

 to be broken in transportation, and when exposed they 

 soon dry up beyond recovery. If a tree has a quan- 

 tity of clean, bright roots the size of a lead pencil or 

 larger, it ought to grow luxuriantly if other conditions 

 are satisfactory. I am not sure but such trees do better 

 than those with an abundance of fine roots, from the fact 

 that the earth can be packed more snugly about the roots. 

 I am not convinced that trees from a local nursery are 

 preferable to those from a distance, unless one desires to 

 remove a few trees with a ball of earth attached. With 

 our 'rapid transportation trees can be sent a great dis- 

 tance without injury. To be sure, in the case of tender 

 plants, such as peach trees, I should prefer trees grown 

 in my own latitude. Some years ago, before railroads 



