April, 1913 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



173 



A young apple tree as It grows naturally 



A perfectly balanced tree with 

 strong branches at the base is 

 seldom met because the future 

 form is not studied at the start. 

 The planter of a tree should 

 be able to carry in mind the 

 right form of a tree through 

 several years of its develop- 

 ment. 

 A proper treatment of the 

 roots of a tree is equally im- 

 portant in its planting. In 

 lifting or digging trees in the 

 nursery the roots are cut, with 

 more or less breaking. 



The broken parts should be 

 cut off and all the roots cut back 

 at least one-third. Material is 

 there for making new growth 

 and the growth is materially 

 hastened and aided by mak- 

 ing smooth cuts that the 

 ends may be quickly healed 

 when they will be enabled 

 to throw out new rootlets 

 how the young w hich mus t be done before 



tree, after top , , , 



and root prun- growth can be made by the 

 loots makes new buds above. There can be 



no new growth of the tree, until a new 

 growth of roots begins. 



Many trees are planted without any 

 pruning of the roots and such often strug- 

 gle for years before they can establish a 

 strong new root system and much time is 

 unnecessarily lost before fruit will be pro- 

 duced. With intelligent pruning of both 

 the top and roots of a tree, it is entirely 

 possible to so advance the development in 

 growth and in fruit-bearing that in three 

 years from planting, specimens of apples 

 may be had. While there are large num- 

 bers of trees that give no evidence of bear- 

 ing fruit under twelve, and in instances 

 fifteen years, the writer under the system 

 of pruning outlined, together with good 



The whip-like branches are cut back to form the 

 spreading head 



culture, has taken nine bushel boxes of 

 perfect apples from trees, in the seventh 

 year from planting. 



Starting an Orchard 



By H. E. Angell, New York 



THE only satisfactory method of starting 

 an orchard is to purchase the trees from 

 a reliable nurseryman. It is worth while 

 to give personal attention to the selection 

 of these trees or "whips" as much depends 

 upon this initial step in orcharding. Hav- 

 ing decided upon the varieties desired, pick 

 out strong, stocky, vigorous one or two- 

 year-old trees with well developed root 

 systems. Older trees may be successfully 

 planted but the one or two-year-old trees 

 are more satisfactory and profitable in the 



long run, suffer less in transplanting, cost 

 less and are more easily handled. 



There are several good 

 reasons for purchasing stock 

 from the nearest re 

 liable nurseryman. 

 He will be able to 

 give you advice as to 

 the varieties best suited 

 to the location of the 

 orchard, he will feel 

 responsible for the 

 correctness of his 

 nomenclature, and 

 the trees will suffer less 

 from transplanting. The 

 perpetuation of varieties 

 is secured by budding or 

 grafting cuttings from the 

 variety desired upon seed 

 grown stock. 



Budding consists in remov- 

 ing a bud from a twig and in- 

 serting it beneath the bark 

 of the seedling and tying it 

 in place. When the bud 

 and stock have united the 

 seedling is cut off above the 

 bud thus forcing the sap 

 and growth into the 

 transplanted bud. If 

 all growth except 

 through this bud is 

 prevented all the fruit 

 of the tree will be of 

 the desired variety. 



Grafting is accom- 

 plished by fitting 

 a dormant twig 

 cut from a tree 

 of the desired var- 

 iety into a cut in the seedling. There 

 are several forms of grafting differing more 



A nursery tree. It is 

 to be pruned where the 

 marks indicate 



1 





The foundation for the future tree 



■mill 



