Well, this tree speaks for itself in the beginning of its life. Now, I believe the scion does influence the root to a certain extent, when possibly it cannot the stock of two or more years' growth. This seedling from the piece root, which failed from some cause to nourish the cion, sent up a stalk of its own, and you will see the root system is not as fine as on this other tree, but I believe they each had an equal chance, except the cion failed to grow on one and it did on the other.

I have said this was a fine tree, but when Mr. Hatch gets at it with his knife I am afraid he will spoil it, but for my purpose I will only shorten in a few limbs, take out one or two, and cut off this leader. What! cut off the leader? Yes, if it is growing too long to suit me; let these side branches develop a little. Now I will cut off all of these long roots with a sharp knife, and always from the under side upwards. Now the tree is ready to plant. How large a hole will it require? Not to exceed two feet in diameter, and possibly twenty inches is sufficient. I would have these holes dug just as I was going to set my trees, and when the soil was just moist enough to pack firmly about the roots, which of course have been puddled, or should be, and this is all the water I would give at time of setting, for a hole full of water and the tree churned up and down at time of setting to my mind is all wrong, and the labor worse than useless. I would press the dirt very firm about the tree. You know you can pack the dirt round a fence post until you wonder what has become of it all, when certainly you have quite a good sized post. Now, this will illustrate what I mean by packing the dirt firm about the tree. If your trees were root pruned last fall when they came from the nursery, and properly healed in they are calloused and ready to start into growth, but if dug up in the spring I would cut the roots immediately and keep them moist until time of setting, which you need not hurry, even if the buds do start some. These roots cut off, as I have shown, will soon begin to callous, and as the ground warms up will send out the feeding roots. These will take hold of the firm soil about them and push out into the natural soil. Mulching, staking to prevent swaying by the wind, and other details to the proper planting of the orchard I have no time to enter into in this dissertation. There are

some foolish notions about planting trees, and this "large hole" advice is one of them. We hear very little said about careful digging or bruising body or limbs.

I said to a neighbor last spring that I would like four nice maple trees from his farm to set for street trees. He was an intelligent man and I did not think it necessary to give him advice as to caring for the trees, as he had to bring them twenty miles. He brought the trees and threw them off near the place where I wanted to plant them out, but did not notify me of the fact until the next day, when he called my attention to them, at the same time remarking that he had brought all the tops and "they were fine trees;" but the roots were mangled and bruised beyond redemption. I asked, "How much apiece for the trees? Forty cents he had been selling for to others. “Oh, give them plenty of water and they will grow." "No," I said, "I will pay you for the trees and you may take them away. You have delivered the trees but I would not spend the time to set them out, expecting them ever to grow even on a water diet."

Every bruised spot on root, body, or limb, is a damage to the tree and will impair its future growth, and yet we see them hawked about the country every spring just as carelessly as though they were a load of fence posts. I sometimes wonder that any of them live. Some nurserymen are to blame for this, but even if they exercise care, their help are careless. I have seen trees dug and then exposed to sun and wind for twenty-four hours before they were packed; they were moist enough though when the delivery was made. I went one spring to the nursery for various kinds of trees and the proprietor sent a boy along who took every tree as it was dug to the pudling box, and the roots were never dry before they were set out, and in this lot were over one hundred evergreens and not one died.

Mr. President, if what I have said about "planting the tree" has been of any benefit, or awakened one thought of criticism, either pro or con, then I am glad to present the subject.

DISCUSSION.

Prof. E. S. Goff-Do you think it would be practical to set that tree out today?

B. S. Hoxie-It would be possible to make it grow but it would not be practicable.

A. L. Hatch-I think there would be 999 chances in 1000 of its dying.

B. S. Hoxie-I would say the chances of its living or dying are about even.

Q.-Would you set that tree straight up and down, that is, without leaning in any direction?

B. S. Hoxie-Yes, sir; I am a straight up and down man and I would want my trees to stand straight. If you get a good system of roots the tree will grow all right if set straight. When I see any of my trees leaning, even when they have been set several years, I go out and straighten them up.

Secretary-Is there any necessity for cutting off those roots? It seems to me nature does things about right and I do not see any necessity for cutting off the roots. If you receive trees from the nurseryman having roots straight and nice is there any necessity for cutting them off?

B. S. Hoxie-Yes; we want a good system of roots, but what is the use of having a root four feet long? We will only have to dig a much larger hole, if we keep the roots straight, and we will gain nothing by it. The food is not taken in by the roots. or rootlets, but by the little filaments on them. If we cut away a part of that long root, just as many filaments will form and it is better to start a new growth of feeders than to dig a hole large enough to accommodate the large roots and then have to tramp the earth down around them. I would rather have the fresh earth for the new roots to start out in.

HOW TO CULTIVATE THE TREE.

A. D. Barnes, Waupaca.

I always plant in quintex form or broken rows, that the ground may the easier be plowed, cultivated or harrowed; thereby coming closer to the trees, and working all or nearly all the ground, and keeping the surface nearly level, always avoiding deep ditches, or high ridges, as the ridges soon dry out in a dry season, to the detriment of the trees, and if the land is seeded to clover in this rough condition it is unhandy to cut or harvest; besides the appearance of the orchard is very unpleasant.

The ground should be carefully plowed between the rows in the fall, and cross-plowed in the spring, the furrow being thrown to the tree in the fall, and from it in crossing in the spring, care being taken to alternate the direction of plowing both fall and spring, thus making it possible to throw the dirt to the tree each time in the fall. After crossing in spring the ground should be thoroughly harrowed to a fine surface as soon as the land will work nicely and not pack. All spaces around and under the trees should be carefully spaded and shaken up with a spading fork, all sods and weeds removed, then the surface thoroughly raked with a garden rake; always avoiding plowing or digging deep with any tool or implement of any kind, to avoid cutting or bruising the roots of the tree. This method of fine, even surface cultivation serves in many ways to retain and preserve the moisture, arrest capillary evaporation, and encourage a healthy and vigorous growth.

The surface of the ground should be thoroughly mulched at least once in every two or three years with a liberal coat of well rotted manure spread on in early spring; this should be carefully worked into the ground between the trees and left on the surface under them. This manuring, or rather mulching, should be applied under the trees a few days after the soil has been forked up and raked over. I consider the growing of one or two heavy crops of clover, and plowing the sec

ond crop under, one of the easiest and most profitable modes of cultivating and fertilizing the orchard. The growing clover roots loosens up the soil, bringing many valuable elements to the surface for food for the tree rootlets, and if a fresh crop of green clover is plowed under it is as good a fertilizer as one could ask for.

If an old orchard has become barren and unhealthy a wagon load of good, fresh clay spread over the surface of the ground around, and under, the trees as far out as the limbs extend, will add new vigor and fruitfulness to them. This, of course, should be carefully worked into the surface soil during the

summer.

Care should always be taken to avoid planting or growing any crop in the orchard that makes a woody growth, such as timothy, June grass, oats or rye, for they require about the same elements to grow and mature them that the trees require to grow and mature the fruit, and these kinds of crops require an immense amount of moisture, rooting so near the surface as they do they always monopolize and use up the moisture required by the trees, especially if allowed to mature; hence the cultivation of a crop of clover, vegetables, peas or potatoes that are harvested in a green or fresh state, will not detract from the properties and moisture of the soil as a woody or matured crop does.

Desist from the idea that you must grow a crop of hay or grain, or secure a full season's pasture in the orchard to make it pay, and persist in the idea that to make the orchard pay you must cultivate and fertilize for the benefit of the crop you desire to grow on the trees, and not on the land.

DISCUSSION.

J. C. Plumb-Mr. Barnes, how far apart would you plant your trees?

A. D. Barnes-About twenty-one feet north and south by fourteen feet east and west.

Prof. E. S. Goff-What would you do if you had to put your orchard on land that sloped so it would wash?