188 
THE KUR.A.L, NEVV-VORKEK 
February 5. 
Hope Farm Notes 
I am often asked to tell how we pre¬ 
pare an apple tree for planting. The 
picture on the first page shows how we 
do it better than I can put it in words. 
The contrast is between the trees as they 
come from the nurseryman's box, and 
the way they go into the ground. All 
our trees are planted this way. We dig 
a hole just large enough to contain the 
roots and deep enough so the tree will 
go a little deeper than it stood in the nur¬ 
sery. We pack the earth solidly around 
the roots, mound up the earth slightly 
and let it alone. Having planted over 
4,000 trees this way, and dug many of 
them up from time to time I feel satisfied 
that we get a better root system by fol¬ 
lowing this method. It stands to reason, 
however, that if you cut back the roots 
in this way you must also cut the top 
and thus balance the tree. The great 
advantage I find in cutting back the top 
is that you may then shape the head 
to suit. Jf the crotch is formed in the 
nursery row it may make just the head 
you do nop want. The chances are that 
it will do this, since the object of the 
nurseryman is to make a quick rank 
growth, and thus make a large tree. 
Your object as a fruit grower is not to 
make wood, but a low-down vigorous 
tree that will make fruit buds early. By 
starting the tree as shown in the picture 
we have full control of the tree, and can 
shape its head to suit. 
I remember once at a fruit meeting 
that this question of big trees came up. 
Mr. Orlando Harrison said something 
like this: “What is the use of asking 
nurserymen to grow big, strong trees if 
you are going to cut them all away 
when you plant?” 
1 had been trying to show that what 
fruit growers wanted was not height 
hut breadth—that is, not a long vigorous 
top, but size and solid wood in the trunk. 
I call the crown of the tree, or where 
the roots and upright trunk •start, its 
heart, and there is where we want size 
and power. I notice that this year in 
West Virginia Mr. Harrison suggested 
much the same thing when he said: 
I wonder how many fruit growers would 
prefer in the future that nurserymen sell 
trees by caliper one inch above the bud in¬ 
stead of height, j wonder if it would not 
be more satisfactory. For years 1 thought 
not, but I have come to the conclusion that 
the fruit grower has learned that tlie value 
of the tree is in the caliper. 1 am anxious 
to know if it would not l>e advisable for 
the nurserymen to state in their catalogue 
if a tree is three to four feet, four to live 
feet, or live to six feet: add to that the 
caliper one inch above the bud. This is 
done in wholesale between nurserymen, but 
not with the retail trees generally. 
That is a good suggestion judging from 
our experience. Cut these thick chunky 
trees back and you can make them grow 
as you want them. 
There are two pictures this week show¬ 
ing how our trees are growing. Fig. 45 
shows a McIntosh Red which has grown 
from the first in sod. The tree was 
simply planted right in the grass, and has 
never been plowed or cultivated. The 
grass has been cut and part taken out as 
hay. In its place we have piled weeds, 
old vines, grass, manure, brush—any¬ 
thing that will rot under the spread of 
the branches. At six years (last season) 
this tree began bearing and gave about 
30 beautiful apples—large and highly col¬ 
ored. Judging from the fruit buds the 
tree seems good for nearly a box of fruit 
this year. With the most careful figur¬ 
ing 1 conclude that this tree has cost a 
little under 70 cents—including the origi¬ 
nal purchase to bring it to fruiting. This 
does not include the spraying. The 
other tree, Fig. 46, has been grown in a 
different way as an experiment. In 
this case five furrows were plowed on 
each side of the row—all turned to the 
trees. They were harrowed down and 
a row of Soy beans planted at each side. 
These beans were fertilized and culti¬ 
vated five times. The middles are in rye 
and clover which have been taken out for 
hay and fodder. The Soy beans did not 
grow well for some reason, but under 
this system the trees made a good 
growth. On a steep hillside this plan 
has some advantages, as the clover 
prevents washing while the strip along 
the tree rows gives the young trees 
good culture. My sod trees are 
coming in bearing earlier than those 
cultivated, but 1 would repeat the 
old warning that sod culture will 
simply lead you to ruin unless you are 
prepared to pile on the mulch material 
thick. 
Taxes. —No use talking, this tax prop¬ 
osition is a hard one. I am getting more 
reports. One town situated in Steuben 
Co., N. Y., reports $2.24 on the $100. 
The town of Merrimac, Mass., reports 
$2.70. The bill for this town includes 
an item of $1.70 for “moths,” which I 
take to be an assessment for destroying 
Gypsy moths. In Gallia Co., Ohio, the 
tax runs from $2.69 up to $4.79, the latter 
being for the city of Gallipolis, where 
the citizens seem to enjoy the privilege 
of paying for public service, public safety 
and redemption of bonds. ' My Massa¬ 
chusetts friend who tells about his tax 
rate explains it as follows: 
We have a little farm of about 70 acres, 
no other taxable property. The cause of 
the high rate is a little village that must 
have city privileges, water, electric lights, 
concrete sidewalks, etc. Of course, there is 
no ready sale for farm lands. 
That has a very familiar sound to 
many Jerseymen who own farm proper¬ 
ty in a “commuter’s” township. Such 
commuters do not as a rule own real es¬ 
tate. T hey rent and pay poll tax and 
small taxes on personal property. They 
can and will vote appropriations for 
school houses and public improvements 
which real estate owners must pay. On 
the other hand I have a report from a 
farmer in Pennsylvania who lives six 
miles from a railroad and yet pays over 
$3-5° per $100 in taxes. 
Farm Notes. —The “blizzard” piled the 
snow all over Hope Farm and we set¬ 
tled down to the hope of good sleighing 
until March. Then the warm wind came 
up from the south and rain followed, so 
that as I write there are only little 
patches of snow here and there on the 
north side of the fences. One thing I 
do not like is the ice over part of the 
strawberry field. The thaw came so 
quickly that little ponds have formed 
here and there. The water soaked off 
but slowly through the frozen ground, 
and before it all went the frost got at it. 
I don’t like strawberry plants in this sort 
of cold storage, but here’s hoping no 
harm will be done. Tree trimming goes 
steadily on. We are cutting back our 
young trees quite a little—opening the 
head by taking out limbs at the crotch, 
and clipping off the tops so as to make 
a bushy low-down head. I see more 
and more how impossible it is to tell a 
man how to trim a tree which we have 
never seen. It is pretty much solid guess¬ 
work. A man must have instinct in 
order to do such work right. The root 
grafts have been made and are mow 
safely packed in damp sawdust. As 
soon as the ground can be fitted we 
shall get them out and thus start our 
little nursery. Now you will ask me 
if 1 am prepared to swear that these 
trees will be true to their “papers.” I 
answer right off, No. Merrill cut the 
scions from trees which we know pro¬ 
duced certain varieties. These scions 
were marked and packed away. Merrill 
and Jack made the grafts, marked them 
again and packed them separately. In 
the Spring we will plant them in sepa¬ 
rate rows, mark them with stakes, and 
also make a map to show where each 
variety stands. While I have every 
confidence that neither the scions nor 
the grafts have been mixed I will not 
swear to the identity of a single tree. 
I do not see how anyone could do so 
unless he did all the work himself. If 
we cannot do this with our trees you 
can see how much harder it would be 
for a nurseryman who handles all the 
way from 50,000 to 500.000. Of course 
he cannot keep track of all, and there 
are sure to be careless hands employed. 
1 hose men who curse the nurseryman 
up hill and down dale might try their 
own hands at the game and see how 
much responsibility they will stand for! 
1 think one great trouble with misfit 
and poor trees is the fact that buyers 
have beaten down the price so low that 
in order to compete the nurserymen 
have been obliged to furnish trees with 
cheap labor and lack of thorough care. 
Try your hand at growing 500 high- 
class apple trees and see what it costs 
you to be able to guarantee that they 
are sound and true. I am not trying 
to whitewash any of the nurserymen. 
I know that some of them spoil a man’s 
orchard and then run away from the 
responsibility. I believe in giving all 
sides a show. No use blaming nursery¬ 
men, or politicians, or express com¬ 
panies, or middlemen, if we will not as 
farmers and as men use courage and 
common sense in dealing with our hard 
problems. h:*w. c. 
IVnra you write advertisers mention Tim 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quirk reply and 
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