8 
January, 1891. 
ORCHARD 
AND 
\ GARDEN 
Winter Work in the Orchard. 
There is not much outdoor work that can 
be done in the orchard at this season, but 
in mild weather cions may be cut. if not 
already done, for indoor grafting. The 
roots for this purpose should have all the 
small fibrous roots removed, so that they 
will not interfere with the work. 
There is a gocd deal of humbug and dis- 
putation about this subject of root grafting, 
some contending that the whole root should 
be used for one graft and that it must be 
made on the collar of the stock. 
The main argument is that such trees 
grow stronger, withstand the storms and 
winds better, live longer, and bear better. 
This is not proven by experience, for we 
see an orchard nearly every day that was 
budded on whole seedlings, and it is not as 
good as those adjoining that we grafted on 
short sections of roots. 
The strength of the growth does not de- 
pend upon the length of the root or the 
place where it is grafted, but on the vigor 
of the root and the graft. A short section 
of root, two inches long and one half-inch 
in diameter, will produce a stronger growth 
and make a better tree than a small root of 
equal weight ten inches long. And a cion 
ten or even fifteen inches long, with a 
terminal bud, will make a better growth 
and finer tree than a cion three inches long, 
grafted on either. This matter we tested 
over thirty years ago and have ever since 
grafted with a long cion on a short root. 
We have also seen the same result shown 
by Prof. Gale when at the Agricultural 
College, Kansas, a number of years ago. 
It is a matter that can be very easily 
demonstrated by selecting a dozen or so of 
even sized apple seedlings, one year old, 
and plant them out; the one half with the 
tops cut off three inches above the collar, 
with the whole roots, and setting them with 
the buds level with the ground. The other 
half, cut off the roots three inches below the 
collar and leave all the top on and set the 
collar three inches below the surface. Let 
them grow two years and then take them 
up and see which have made the strongest 
growth and are the better rooted trees. 
There is more in the selection of the seed- 
ling stocks than many suppose and most of 
the defects in trees may be traced to defec- 
tive stocks and not to the use of a long or 
short root as is claimed. 
If much grafting has to be done we 
should commence this month, but if only a 
few thousands, there is time in February, or 
even in March, if everything is ready and 
on hand. 
In mild weather pruning may be dene 
any time during the winter or early spring. 
We would, however, utter a caution con- 
cerning pruning, particularly in Kansas, or 
more harm than good may be done. We 
need not prune here for sunlight, unless we 
want our trees to sunscald and blight, 
which is certain to follow if much of it is 
done. When large limbs must be taken off 
the wound should be painted over at once. 
Apples should be looked over and asorted 
occasionally and those that are decayed 
removed. We should prepare and do every- 
thing now that will facilitate work in 
spring. We must also read up and become 
better acquainted with all things pertaining 
to our business. — J. Stayman. 
Orchard Notes. 
PROPAGATION BY ROOT GRAFTING. 
I fully agree with Mr. Stayman’s views, 
as expressed in the December issue of Or- 
chard and Garden, in regard to criticisms 
which have been made upon the use of the 
“second cut” of the root. I have been at the 
work for a quarter of a century, and have 
the credit of being a pretty observing per- 
son. Certainly, I have no interests what- 
ever to mislead me, but quite the contrary. 
If the second cut necessarily produces a 
poorer tree, it would be folly for any nur- 
seryman to use it. What I want is a thrifty 
root, grown in a soil properly prepared, and 
rich enough to grow them to the required 
size in one season. I have no use for two 
years’ old roots, though they are always 
advertised by those who make a business of 
growing them, at a higher price, as though 
preferable. If good, sound, plump seed from 
healthy trees is planted, and carefully 
thinned and weeded, stocks can easily be 
grown in one season so large that the first 
and second cuts are of the proper size for 
the cions, which from thrifty shoots taper 
about as much as the roots. Many grafters 
are satisfied with getting a union on one 
side ; but I am convinced that one sided 
grafts are the ones from which we are most 
likely to get trees with one-sided roots, such 
as have been photographed to show the 
defects of the “second cut.” 
METHODS OF PLANTING. 
I do not feel quite so ready to coincide 
with Mr. Stayman in regard to the impor- 
tance of placing a flat stone under a newly 
planted tree. As lie well says, there are 
many good orchards twenty years old, and 
more, which were grafted on piece roots ; 
so I can say there are many others, equally 
g^od, of which the roots were allowed to 
grow without artificial control. In both 
cases there may be good orchards under 
both methods, or one orchard may be 
better than the other, without the difference 
being due to the supposed cause. My ex- 
perience v\iih apple trees is that their roots 
will go down to permanent water if they 
can, and if the land is such that they can- 
not, their longevity will not be great. A 
well drained soil, in which the water moves 
freely, is also essential. T have heard of 
the use of flat stones under trees for many 
years, but have regarded it as a mere no- 
tion. Mr. Stayman’s advocacy makes the 
idea more respectable, because of his intel- 
ligence and experience ; and thinking the 
matter over it occurs to me that some good 
may sometimes be done by causing the 
roots at first to make a free horizontal 
growth. But as there must be a limit to 
the size of the stone, it cannot prevent the 
roots from turning downward at its edges, 
and penetrating the soil as deeply as if no 
stone had been there. It is very hard to 
control the natural habit of growth of a 
vigorous tree. 
LOCATION FOR ORCHARDS. 
In New England I have generally found 
the best and longest-lived orchards growing 
on rich hillsides of moderate slope. If the 
ground is somewhat springy, so much the 
better. If the rock beneath is of a decaying 
slate, rich in lime and potash, so much the 
better still. In these localities it does not 
seem to be necessary to cultivate or manure 
the orchard at all. Such land is capable 
of growing both grass and apples for many 
years ; but it is better to feed off the grass 
with sheep than to mow it. The sheep will 
not gnaw the bark while the grass is abun- 
dant. Daubing the trees with fresh blood 
protects against sheep as well as rabbits. 
The best protection, however, is thin flat 
strips of wood, lath, old staves, or waste 
veneer, tied about the trees. It will not do 
to plant apple trees in land underlaid with 
solid ledge within 8 or 10 feet of the surface. 
Such an orchard may do very well for a 
time ; but let a long drouth occur, and it 
will be greatly damaged. Orchards on light 
soils with pervious subsoil will thrive, if the 
land is made rich at first, and frequently 
top dressed. On level land of this character 
it is advantageous to keep the ground in 
cultivation with low hoed crops that will 
pay for the manure used. In this way the 
orchard may be fertilized until in full bear- 
ing at no expense, and will come to that 
stage of growth more quickly for the culti- 
vation. 
TAKING UP NURSERY TREES. 
A good many years ago I sent a large 
order of trees to a Canadian planter, who 
wrote me on their receipt, approving of 
their appearance, and concluding with the 
remark that I had the somewhat unusual 
custom of sending the roots along with 
the trees. I have met this gentleman 
many times since, at the meetings of the 
Montreal Horticultural Society, and he 
almost always refers to the matter. 
The orchard has been a very suc- 
cessful one, but I think much the fuller 
share of credit belongs to the owner. Many 
good trees are ruined in a very few years, 
if not the first year, by the bad treatment 
they receive at the hands of the planter ; 
and I have noticed that this class of plan- 
ters are the ones who want the nurseryman 
to warrant the trees to live. That is a 
warrant that I have never given yet. I v 
think the nurseryman does his whole duty 
when he sells well grown trees true to name, 
takes them up carefully, and packs and 
ships them in a business like manner. I 
am not now a nurseryman, but as a buyer 
