Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-10-16
horticulture.
For the VERMONT FARMER.
T TRANSPLANTING APPLE TREES.

1t has been my privilege to talk with
many persons about the management of
young trees, and find very diverse opinions
in regard to the subject. 1t is probably true
that the young tree is tender aud very sus-
ceptible of injury, and its hardness increases
every year Of its life.
While its hardness increases it is also
true that one winter or one summer may SO
far exceed all previous ones that excessive
wind, storms, cold, or heat may kill tree
that has withstood the previous seasons.
While the heat and dryness of some sum-
mers kills trees, far greater number are
killed by severe winters. Indeed it would
almost seem wisdom to follow the practice
Of gardeners who have charge of the embel-
lishments around the houses of rich citizens.
They in the fall take up from the open
ground various bushes, shrubs, and plants,
and store them away in hot houses, green
houses, pits, or cellars, as the case may re.
quire, and keep what the winter would 9TH
erwise surely destroy. When the mild days
of spring come these plants are gradually
brought into favorable growth and in sum-
mer are seen in all their glory of foliage
flower, and fruit, suffering naught from
tranSplantlng but rather gaining.
So if the farmer or nurseryman would
give the best of care to young apple trees it
would not be an unwise thing to winter them
in cellar every winter until they were four
or FIVE years old and after that protect the
trunks by wrappings of straw or embank-
ments of earth.
But many farmers receive in fall or in
spring bundle of trees ordered from some
nursery. Some are not ready to set them
out, so leave them under the shed, in the
cellar, or in pool of water, for few days.
A better way would be to sprinkle them
well with water, then dig hole in the mel
low garden soil large enough to receive the
roots, and then cover the roots and well up
the trunks with this damp soil, aud have it
well in among the roots. Here they can rest
few days in safety.
In regard to setting trees several persons
have told me they always put few potatoes
in among the roots the potatoes in rotting,
or Gf in spnng) growing, keep the roots
moist and the trees do well. Others say
put about quart of oats in each hole among
the roots, and it is more certain to live
Another in setting few trees put several
shOvelfulS Of manure from the privy under
each tree.
Another said the agent told him to cut all
the roots off and he did 80, trimming the
root as straight as q carrot, but his trees all
died and not more than half of them leaved
out. If the agent told him so his meaning
doubtless was to cut off the ragged ends oI
all those roots that were roughly cut with
the spade is raising the tree. Other persons
say that as they fll in around the roots they
take hold Of the tree and lift it up anC
down to work the dirt in among the roots
This up and down notion is Objectionable as
it draws the small roots out from their hori
zontal position and when the tree is pressed
down the roots are crooked and cramped, al
they cannot thrust themselves out again in
to the earth from which they have beer
drawn.
Excellent results follow in many cases i
the hole is dug considerably larger than re