12 
draw the sap away to no purpose, further 
development is impossible, they are 
quickly exhausted and disappear, leaving, 
4&he tree in the form of an inverted pyra- 
anid, with a close and barren centre, and, 
able to bear fruit over a meagre and un- 
g@uly exposed exterior. 
The size, shape, and : 
ypowers of a tree may vary considerably 
ewing to native habit, resources of soil, 
position, and climate, but the interior 
economy should be well preserved in all 
circumstances. 
the illustrations which, unfortunately, 
exist in almost every orchard, will suow 
the comparative value of well-designed 
and irregularly formed trees. We see thick 
and thin branches of the same age standing’ 
at the same angle. One branch with a 
nest of spurs at its centre, another with a’ 
tuft of spurs at its point, or down one 
side, the other bare. One side of a tree 
jhas three thick branches, the other side 
six or seven thin ones. Many trees have 
a fringe of fruiting wood near the crown, 
the inside being absolutely bare. These 
are not rare but 
case due to want 
handling. 
In every subject, there is a type of wood 
of design and intelligent 
favorable to the production of fruit, at the. 
Jeast expense to the tree, therefore this 
type should be evenly distributed 
throughout every part except the main 
branches. 
Where it is in the nature of a tree to 
make lanky pole-like branches, these must 
stand well nigh perpendicular, and be of 
moderate length, or they will not support 
their crops, and preserve a fixed position. 
Hivery branch should be so plated, and 
given such a degree of vigor, that it will 
adhere to one position at all seasons, no 
matter how heavy the crop or wild the 
storm. 
The difficulty of arranging branches is 
wyercome when the resources of the soil 
and the native vigor and habit of any sub- 
ject are thoroughly understood. Very few 
branches are needed, if they are well spac- 
ed. Three mains will yield nine secondaries: 
—three light ones inside, and six of much 
vreater vigor surrounding them. (Nine 
would prove too many in some trees .The 
age and spread of the tree determine the 
number of secondaries. They must always 
be sufficiently far apart to secure light and 
air on.all sides when in full toliage.) 
In designing a tree, itis necessary to 
mote if the strongest secondaries occur on 
the inside or outside of the mains. An 
examination of living trees will show that 
mearly all peaches throw their secondaries 
#utwards from the main. Apricots are in- 
alined to spread laterally. Apples, and 
ears are most diverse, each variety call- 
ing for separate investigation. 
Where secondaries spring outwards it 
as necessary to carry the mains higher and 
more perpendicular than when they spring 
@rom the inside. But the mains must not 
tbe laid in hurriedly, or the sap will be 
married to the points, and chus prevent the 
#ormation of strong secondaries at base. 
Where secondaries spring irom inside, 
ithe mains are arranged as low and near the 
fruit-bearing 
An appeal to reason, and 
general defects, in every, 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
horizontal line as they can be conveniently 
carried without producing weakness and 
premature decline. Again, strong-growing 
varieties have their mains and secondaries 
at a sharp angle to the trunk, whilst weak 
and limp wood will modify the size of tree 
and call for more upright growth. 
Carry all types of wood on uniform lines. 
Examples: All mains of equal size, length, 
and angle from trunk; all secondaries 
light in the centre and gradually thicken- 
ing towards the outside; all laterals, 
shoots, and spurs strongest at the base of a 
branch and weakening as they ascend to 
the outside of the tree. All spurs and 
fruiting shoots at regular distances, estab- 
lished and growing wood alternating, 
otherwise there must be a feast and a fast 
through overcropping, or impotence of the 
light wood. 
It is too much to hope that these rules 
will be literally observed by all orchard- 
ists, but the object is to explain the reason 
why fruit trees should be carefully planned 
and controlled. 
The widest part of a fruit tree should 
be its base,.a foot or so above the trunk. 
If it is objected that horse implements 
cannot be used and close cultivation secur- 
ed, the reply is: Increase the height of 
the trunk, though not beyond 3 ft., as the 
climate demands low broad-based trees, 
which will screen their feeding area from 
the direct heat and desiccating winds of 
summer. If there is any equality in the 
size and position of the mains they should 
not be called upon to furnish the same 
number of secondaries. Example: A 
strong main may furnish — three 
secondaries; another, considerably weaker 
or more horizontal, should yield 
two; the latter will then be of about equal 
size to the three furnished by the stronger 
main. A. decidedly upright but indispen- 
sable main may be called upon to furnish 
several secondaries in order to exhaust it 
somewhat, after which a secondary or two 
of suitable size may be selected. and the 
others pruned away. Secondaries, again, 
must, in so far as they vary in size and 
position, be cropped according to their 
strength, otherwise the form of the tree 
will become irregular and less profitable. 
Laterals, shoots, and spurs are, in the 
same way, formed strong or weak, long or 
short, single or composite, according to the 
age and habit of the tree and the class of 
fruit desired. 
The production and maintenance of 
fruiting wood is assured when the founda- 
tion is properly laid, therefore be parti- 
cularly careful in dealing with the trees 
during the first three or four years. The 
right way absorbs no more money or time, 
whilst it assures the fullest possible return 
from all trees where cultural operations 
are well carried out. 
TURKESTAN LUCERNE OR 
2 ; ALFALFA. — 
EXPERIMENTS AT BURNIMA, 
NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Mr. H. T. Edwards, of Burnima, New 
South Wales, is taking a great interest in 
the cultivation of Turkestan, lucerne, or 
alfalfa. His property is situated in the 
July 1, 1904 
Monaro district of New South Wales, and 
is subject to hard frosts in winter. Learn- 
ing that Mr. Edwards took an interest in 
the matter, Messrs. Anderson & Co., seed 
merchants, of Sydney, procured several 
samples of the seed and asked him to con-- 
duct an experiment for them. ie 
Six different varieties were sown, in 
drills 4 ft. apart, on the same. date and 
under the same conditions, the particulars - 
of the samples are as follows: ‘ 
Oz. No. 9359, seed secured from Erivan, 
Caucasus, Russia. This province is very 
hot and dry in summer, and very cold in 
- winter, the temperature often reaching 20 
below zero. 
Oz. No. 9250, from Askabad, Trans-Cas- 
pian Territory, Turkestan. This region is. 
very hot in summer, while the winters are 
comparatively mild. 
Oz. No. 9451, from Sairam, Turkestan, . 
one of the coldest regions of Turkestan. 
Oz. No; 9452, from Bokhara, Turkestan. 
This is a region of much alkali, the soil 
having a white crust when dry. 
Oz. No. 9454, from Khiva, one of the 
driest regions in Turkestan, the average 
rainfall being less than 3 in. The summers 
are very hot and the winters cool. 
Oz. No. 9455, from Karshi, Turkestan, a 
town in the mountains, about 80 miles 
south-west of Samarkand. 
At the time of our late visit all these 
were growing well, and looked most 
healthy. 
Alfalfa will grow in favorable soil any-- 
where from sea level to 7,000 ft. elevation. 
Good drainage is necessary, as the plants . 
are quickly killed by excess of water in 
the soil or on the surface. 
Water must never be allowed to stand 
on a field of alfalfa more than forty-eight 
hours at a time, for if the ground becomes . 
saturated with water and is allowed to 
remain for any considerable length of time 
the plants will be drowned out and the 
roots will decay. Neither will alfalfa suc- 
ceed if rock, stiff clay, or other impervious . 
subsoil lies too near the surface. Although 
alfalfa requires good drainage, it also re-- 
quires a fairly constant water supply, and - 
is likely to suffer from drought on deep, 
sandy soil. Alfalfa hay that has been pro-. 
perly cured is eaten by all kinds of farm 
animals, and has a higher feeding value - 
than red clover. It is also one of the best 
soiling crops, and may be fed in this man- 
ner to better advantage than if the stock 
is pastured on the field. : 
The directions for culture by the United 
States Department of Agricuiture in Ame- 
rica are as follows: — , Mu 
West of the Rockies it is recommended’ 
that the seed be sown in the early spring 
on land that was fallowed the preceding 
summer, and left Bare during the winter. 
The summer fallowing, if properly done, 
will eradicate all weed seeds that were near 
enough to the surface to germinate, and 
the land should be put in excellent tilth 
before sowing the seed in the spring. 
In the north central States it should be- 
sown in the spring on land that is as free - 
from weeds as may be, and in an excellent. 
state of fertility. It is wellnight impos-- 
