114 Pecan-Growing 



surface soil a short distance from the base of the young tree 

 where the feeding roots are to develop. 



The top of the young tree should be cut back either before 

 or immediately after transplanting, so as to leave from three 

 to six buds above the stock. 



PROTECTING YOUNG ORCHARD TREES 



Many young pecan trees suffer severely when first set and 

 are often killed outright when the trunks are left unprotected. 

 When the tree has made a rapid growth in the nursery row 

 and the bark is tender, sun-scald is likely to cause consider- 

 able harm until the top has developed far enough to shade 

 the trunk. 



In many sections rabbits and other rodents do serious dam- 

 age by gnawing the bark from young trees, often completely 

 girdling them, which results in the death of the specimen. 



The young nursery tree when first planted is also subject 

 to the attack of borers and other insect pests until the bark 

 on the trunk has had time to thicken and harden. 



The simplest and most economical way of protecting trees 

 from the troubles described above is to wrap the trunk with 

 old newspapers. This can be done best by pulling away one 

 or two inches of soil at the base of the young trees, and then 

 wrapping two or three folds of paper around the trunk, cover- 

 ing it to a height of about two feet or to the first branches. 

 The paper should be tied at the bottom, middle, and top with 

 a light string. The soil should then be pulled back into 

 place at the base. Paper arranged in this way will often 

 last two or three years, when no further protection will be 

 needed. 



If the tree is budded low, or if it branches close to the 



