APPLES 
Where grafts are planted in holes and not 
in a furrow, the soil is best pressed up 
against the lower part by means of a 
“dibber.” This dibber may be made by 
sharpening a piece of hoe handle to a long 
point and attaching to the top of the 
handle a cross piece for convenience in 
handling. An ideal dibber. is made by 
using the end of an old spade handle 
containing the hand piece, together with 
eight inches or so of the handle, prop- 
erly sharpened to a point. See Fig. 4 for 
a plain dibber without special hand piece. 
The dibber is forced down in the ground 
-by the side of the graft and the soil 
pressed up tightly against both root and 
scion from bottom to top. Fig. 4 shows 
how planting is done. 
The grafts cannot grow if air spaces 
are left around the roots. Here is where 
more people fail than at any other point. 
Large growers of young apple trees are 
disposed to plant most of their grafts 
125 
in furrows for the reason that it is next 
to impossible to get workmen who will 
do the work of planting properly by the 
other method. Give the little trees good 
culture, including two or three hoeings 
during the summer, and with a fair sea- 
son they will make a vigorous growth, 
and attain a height of from two to three 
feet. In rich-soils they will grow even 
higher. If trees are to be left until they 
are two years old before transplanting, 
it will be necessary to go through the 
nursery early the following spring. be- 
fore growth begins and carefully trim 
off all branches that may have formed 
up to a height of 24 inches. 
The trees may be set in the orchard 
after one season’s growth, particularly if 
they have attained a height of three to 
four feet. If the soil has been fertile 
and cultivation good they will occasionally 
grow five feet the first season. .A one- 
year-old tree, three to four feet in height, 
Fig. 5. 
Young Apple Tree Top Worked by Means of the Whip Graft. 
The picture on 
the right shows the pruning received two months after grafting. 
