Fruit Cultivation 203 



cents each; one-year "buds," six feet and branched, 

 five to ten cents less. This gain, however, is not an 

 important one — there are four others, each of which 

 makes it worth while to give the method a trial. 

 First, the trees being all together, and in a con- 

 venient place, the chances are a hundred to one that 

 you will give them better attention in the way of 

 spraying, pruning and cultivating — all extremely 

 important in the first year's growth. Second, with 

 the year gained for extra preparation of the soil 

 where they are to be placed permanently, you can 

 make conditions just right for them to take hold at 

 once and thrive as they could not do otherwise. 

 Third, the shock of transplanting will be much less 

 than when they are shipped from a distance — ^they 

 will have made an additional growth of dense, short 

 roots and they will have become acclimated. 

 Fourth, you will not have wasted space and time 

 with any backward black sheep among the lot, as 

 these should be discarded at the second planting. 

 And then there is one further reason, psychological 

 perhaps, but none the less important ; you will watch 

 these little trees, which are largely the result of 

 your own labor and care, when set in their perma- 

 nent positions, much more carefully than you would 

 those direct from the nursery. I know, both from 

 experience and observation, how many thrifty 

 young trees in the home orchard are done to an un- 



