APPLES 
his neglect of known duties, and the in- 
different care on the part of the agent or 
tree dealer, were eliminated, the remain- 
ing loss could be carried by the nursery- 
man very gracefully. The instructions 
given in this article are designed to elimi- 
nate much of the worry and financial 
loss of the beginner. 
Many suggestions here made will apply 
to any part of the country They are 
written, however, expressly to meet con- 
ditions in the Rogue River valley, Oregon. 
Go Properly Prepared to Receive Stock 
Before going to the nursery or freight 
office for your stock first provide yourself 
with canvas, horse blankets, or something 
of that nature sufficient to properly protect 
the roots from drying or chilling while 
returning home, unless the weather is 
very favorable—a mild foggy day, for in- 
stance. The orchardist will have little 
trouble if he will always remember that 
a tree, although dormant, is alive and 
must be handled as a living plant. 
Examine Stock Carefully When Received 
On receiving nursery goods examine 
each bundle, and, if necessary, each tree 
carefully. Note the condition of the plants 
and see that each bundle is properly 
labeled, refusing any stock that has a 
badly mutilated or insufficient root sys- 
tem, and trees that show signs of having 
been dug while immature. Trees which 
have been removed from the nursery row 
prematurely will show signs of withering 
at the extreme tips, and soon after the 
first little freeze will develop a dark spot 
in the center of the soft terminals. A 
cross section of the main roots will show 
this same dark spot in the center if the 
stock has been subjected to frost or other 
abuses. Roots of trees that have suffered 
from exposure will also show a brownish 
coloring between the bark and woody part 
of the root, although the outer portion 
of the root may appear uninjured. 
If damaged stock is received at freight 
office, proper care should be given the 
goods and a prompt report made to the 
party from whom the goods were received. 
A Common Error 
Too much emphasis cannot be placed 
upon the necessity of heeling in the plants 
141 
Immediately upon arrival at the farm. 
They should under no circumstances be 
left out over night. This is the stumbling 
block over which many fall. Stock left 
exposed over night may receive either 
little or no injury, or may be either badly 
damaged or ruined, according to the 
changes that take place in the tempera- 
ture. The labor involved to properly pro- 
tect the stock is so trivial that no one 
can afford to take the risk. 
Heeling-In Nursery Goods 
seek out a spot of well drained soil, 
sandy loam if possible, where no harm 
can come to the trees by the farm stock 
browsing or otherwise mutilating them. 
Spade a trench about a foot wide and two 
spades deep, leaving the loose dirt at the 
bottom. Govern the length by the amount 
of stock to be taken care of. Separate 
the stock so that all the bundles of each 
variety may be kept together 
Cut the lower string on the bundles 
as the roots are placed in the trench, 
standing the bundles at an angle of about 
45 degrees and spreading the trees some- 
what so the roots may be more readily 
covered with the dirt from a _ second 
trench. 
When the first trench has been filled 
with trees begin again as in the first 
place by cutting a trench close to the 
roots of the trees just placed, being care- 
ful to see that all the earth removed 
from the second trench is worked well 
around and over the roots of the trees 
in the first, allowing the dirt to cover 
a few inches of the base of the trees 
and repeat until all the stock is heeled in. 
Care should be exercised in heeling in 
small plants, such as strawberries, to 
avoid covering the crown of the plant, 
and a light covering of leaves or some 
such protection should be given them. 
Roots and bulbs should be entirely cov- 
ered with earth and stakes placed to 
properly mark their location or they 
should be packed in moss and kept in a 
cool but frost-proof building. 
Pruning and Preparing Stock for 
Planting 
Care should be exercised to not bend 
the stock unnecessarily while being re- 
