A. B. Hood 6 Co.’s Descriptive Catalogue 
to admit lisjht and air. and to form a well-sliaped top. We are opposed to the too 
common practice of trimming trees as high as a man’s head, leaving a long, naked 
stem e.vposed to the ravages of insects and the deleterious effects of sun and wind, as 
well as other sudden and extreme changes of the atmosphere. If a tree be allowed 
to branch near the ground, its danger from these ills will be lessened, and it will grow 
much stronger and faster, bear more fruit, which will be more easily gathered, less 
liable to be blown down, and, we may add, every way better. If watched closely 
when young and growing, it will never become necessary to take off large limbs. 
Occasional pinching or cropping off' of the ends of a branch to give the tree proper 
shape, and removing those that cross or crowd each other, will be all that will be 
needed by most trees. Peach trees would be greatly benelited by an annual shorten- 
ing-in of the branches, say one-half of the previous year's growth ; this may be done 
at any time after the fall of the leaf until the buds commence swelling in the spring ; 
they never need any thinning-out of the branches. Dwarf Pears also need careful 
attention annually, to keep them in shape, by cutting back the rampant and straggling 
shoots ; they should be pruned down instead of up, never allowing them to grow high : 
or the top will become too heavy for the roots, and increase the danger of blowing down. 
HOW TO WINTER TREES PROCURED IN THE FALL 
The practice of procuring supplies of trees in the fall is becoming more and more 
general :is e:tch season demonstrates its wisdom. It is a more hivorable time than 
spring, because of the colder weather, and the lighter pressure of business with 
nur.serymen, the freighting companies, and the planter. Even when fall planting is 
not desirable, by reason of severity of the climate, the stock may be procured in the 
fall, and thus be on hand ready for the opportune moment in the spring. To insure 
success, you have only to get the trees before freezing weather ;md bury them in 
the following manner : Choose a dry spot where no water will stand during the 
winter, with no grass near it to invite mice. Dig a trench, throwing out enough dirt 
to admit one layer of roots below the surface, and pktce the trees in it, inclined to an 
angle of forty-five degrees or more. Widen the trench, throwing the soil among the 
roots in position ; place another layer in the trench, reclining the tops on the others, 
and so on until all are in the trench ; then finish by throwing up more soil until the 
tops of the trees are nearlv or quite covered. It is also well to bank up the earth 
around the sides to insure more thorough protection. The exposed tops should then 
be covered with pine boughs, which insures them against an\- possibility of injury. 
Care should be taken to fill solid all the interstices tnnong the roots. In the spring 
the roots will be found to have formed the granulation necessary to the production of 
new spongioles and when jilanted at the proper titne will start to immediate growth. 
TREATMENT OF TREES COMING TO HAND OUT OF SEASON 
It sometimes happens that trees are received in a frosted state ; but if they are 
properly managed they will not be injured by it. Let the package be put, unopened, 
in a cellar, or some such place— cool, but free from frost — until it is perfectly thawed, 
when it can be unpacked, and either planted or placed in a trench until convenient to 
plant. Trees received in the fall for spring planting .should at once be unpacked, and 
a trench dug in a rather dry, sheltering position, when the roots should be well 
covered. So treated, they will be preserved without the least injury until spring. If 
they should come to hand late in the spring, and appear much dried, plunge the 
bundle into a pool of water, there to remain for twenty-four hours, or more, if very 
much wilted, after which it should be unpacked, and the roots and half the stems 
should be buried in soil made quite wet by watering ; there let them remain until the 
bark expands to its natural fullness, when they may be taken up and planted as before 
directetl, and we will guarantee you a good reward for your labor. 
