442 
Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
matter with my tr^e? It is dead on the south side.” I say to them, 
u make it a north side all around.” They say, u how shall I do it?” 
Set up a board, tack two laths together, any way you can devise to 
make it the north side of the tree all around, and you will avoid all 
that deadening. Trees die. There are three or four distinct pri¬ 
mary causes that cause the death of the tree. In one case it might 
be root-killing, from absence of water in the ground in the fall. 
There may be so much water in the ground, possibly, that it will 
he so full of sap that it ‘will fail to mature its wood. 
Secretary Field: You speak of shading or protecting a tree from 
the hot rays of the sun, from one to three o’clock. How large 
should that tree be before it requires such protection? 
Mr. Plumb: It needs it immediately; it needs it always, and there 
is an argument in favor of low trees, and allowing them to spread, 
that they will then shade themselves after they get older. 
Secretary Field: I have heard from some fruit-men that they 
don’t think it at all necessary that they should be protected until 
they become of considerable size, as large as one’s wrist, or larger. 
Mr. Plumb: There are those people who don’t believe in locking 
the barn until after the horse is stolen. There are several causes 
which produce the death of the tree. You must find out the cause; 
to find out exactly why the tree dies. I want to say a word in ref¬ 
erence to pasturing orchards. I am satisfied, within the last five 
years, that a large portion of the trees that have died in Wiscon¬ 
sin, have died on account of a want of water in the soil; packing 
the soil around the roots by pasturing, or any cause. Whatever 
packs the soil so that it cannot retain the fall rains puts the tree in 
winter quarters dry. Take a tree and set it in a tub, and fill the 
tub with dry soil or sand; will the tree survive the winter? No, of 
course not. It will die. Fill that tub up with water and it will 
survive. The water will retain the vitality of the tree. In order to 
insure against root-killing there should be sufficient water in the 
soil. A tree never root-kills where there is sufficient water in the 
soil. 
Secretary Field: Couldn’t that be obviated on most soils by a 
little mulching around the tree? 
Mr. Plumb: Yes; I advocate mulching, but when will you apply 
it? 
Secretary Field: Whenever needed. 
