202 Home Vegetable Gardening 



planting. Where there is apt to be severe freezing, 

 ''heaving," caused by the alternate freezing and 

 thawing ; injury to the newly set roots from too se- 

 vere cold; and, in some western sections, ''sun- 

 scald" of the bark, are three injuries which may 

 result. If trees are planted in the fall in cold sec- 

 tions, a low mound of earth, six to twelve inches 

 high, should be left during the winter about each, 

 and leveled down in the spring. If set in the spring, 

 where hot, dry weather is apt to follow, they should 

 be thoroughly mulched with litter, straw or coarse 

 manure, to preserve moisture — care being taken, 

 however, against field mice and other rodents. 



The trees may either be set in their permanent 

 positions as soon as bought, or grown in "nursery 

 rows" by the purchaser for one or two years after 

 being purchased. In the former case, it will be the 

 best policy to get the strongest, straightest two-year 

 stock you can find, even if they cost ten or fifteen 

 cents apiece more than the "mediums." The former 

 method is the usual one, but the latter has so many 

 advantages that I give it the emphasis of a separate 

 paragraph, and urge every prospective planter to 

 consider it carefully. 



In the first place, then, you get your trees a little 

 cheaper. If you purchase for nursery row planting, 

 six-foot to seven-foot two-year-old apple trees, of 

 the standard sorts, should cost you about thirty 



