XURSER YMEN— OR CHARD 1ST 1 



food ; the stem must develop leaves to help "'digest'' that food, and 

 so nature stores food within the bodies of young trees to care 

 for them during this time. This stored food starts the buds and 

 leaves ; the roots send out their "feeders." and the tree begins to 

 gather food and strength. "* * * and from this stored material 

 the early bloom and growth of spring is partly and sometimes 

 largely made." 



There is no secret, no mystery, no difficulty about growing 

 trees, but you must do a little yourself, understand — DO A 

 LITTLE. Nature wants your help ; she is entitled to it ; it is 

 fun ; it is easy ; it will do you good. Get in tune ; use sense ; go 

 by the book or your successful neighbor. 



Many trees are planted poorly, but through nature's care some 

 of them live. Nature cannot care for all neglected trees, and so 

 many die. 



Many planters think all leaves and limbs that start along the 

 stem of a newly planted tree should be rubbed off up to 15 or 18 

 inches above the ground, the idea being to "throw the strength 

 to the upper branches." This is not best for the following rea- 

 sons : The tree was just planted ; it has no strength to "throw," 

 except what nature stored within its body while it was growing 

 in the nursery ; it is struggling for life ; is getting ready to draw 

 food from the earth ; it needs the help of the leaves to gather food 

 and protect its body from sun scald. At the time of planting you 

 cut away the top to reduce the leaf surface to what the tree could 

 supi)ort ; if now you rub leaves off. you weaken the tree ; you are 

 not likely to kill it. but if you will let the leaves grow, the upper 

 branches will be stronger, the trunk thicker, the tree will have 

 more roots, all because of help of the leaves. 



Five Fruit Growers in different parts of this county each 

 planted ten trees as an experiment to demonstrate this state- 

 ment. At the time of planting five trees from each lot were 

 rubbed down, five were not rubbed. At the end of the growing 

 season I measured the thickness of all and give the figures 

 below. This is a fair test : 



Lot 1. Alfalfa soil thoroughly prepared ; work 



done in the best manner: 



Trees rubbed increased 12i/^% | 



Trees not rubbed increased. ...... .CA% 



Lot 2. New ground not well fitted. The only 

 plowing was a strip about 8 feet wide for 

 the tree rows : 



Trees nibbed increased 14i/^% 



Trees not rubbed increased 45^2% 



Lot 8. Planted in old orchard ground : 



Trees rubbed increased 23% 



Trees not rubbed increased 36% 



Lot 4. Planted in well-prepared ground : 



Trees rubbed increased 45% 



Trees not rubbed increased 50% 



Lot 5. Trees rubbed increased 1025% 



Trees not rubbed increased 1315% 



Prof. L. H. Bailey says in his Pruning Book, 

 page 14 : "The more active and efficient the root, 

 the larger the top." Page 17 : "The growth of the 

 root is. therefore, largely determined by the amount 

 and vigor of the top or leaf-bearing portion." 



If you rub all leaves off as they appear, the tree 

 \rill die. If you rub all leaves from any branch, 

 that branch will die. 



Watch your trees. If a lower branch grows out 

 of proportion, say 8 inches long, pinch out the tip. 

 That will check the growth, but gives the tree the 

 benefit of the leaves. 



One man said to me : "Oh. but if I rub 'em off, 

 there will be no scars ; my young trees will look 

 smoother." He spoke the truth. Another man 

 said : "But think of the work and expense of 

 cutting off those little shoots next spring. I 

 ran rub 'em off cheaper " Hp also spoke the 

 magic words of truth. But neither of these men 



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