Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-16
seIection. Of Fruit Tree.

To select trees of the right varieties and of
the best quality requires Investigation,
thought and good judgment A farmer who
wishes to purchase horse is not satisfied
with seeing a photograph of wagon the
horse has drawn, or by looking at a colored
picture of the horse, but he will demand to
see the living animal, that he may examine
all Of his points, before entering into bar
gain for his purchase but if he decides to
plant an orchard he gives the travelling tree
agent a cordial welcome, and looks over the
highly -colored pictures of apples and pears,
and other fruits that are represented i'll the
book of the agent, which is gotten up in the
highest style of art and is SO delighted with
their beauty, and the magnificent description
which the oiy-tongued vender gives to each
representation, that he too often forgets him
self, and thus falls entirely into the hands of
the agent who makes ont II list of the varie-
ties and the number of each that he must
buy, then very politely requesting him to
sign his name in his book, that lie may know
where to deliver them, thus binding the far
mcr to pay for the trees when delivered, what
ever may be their quality. If the agent is
perfectly honest, the result may be satisfac-
tory SO in regard to purchasing horse,
if the dealer is q perfectly honest man, to see
Il photograph of wagon the horse has drawn
may be sufficient but how many farmers
would dare to risk it
Then why risk it in trees for it is worse
to purchase poor trees, or those of the yarie-
ties we do not want, than it is to purchase a
poor horse for if the horse is not what we
want, we shall soon Iind it out and change
him for u better one but if the trees are not
what we want we find it out too late TO rem
cdy the evil; we spend our time in planting
ont the trees, and in oultivating them for
years, and when they come into bearing, so
we can judge of their quality, if they are not
what We want We may he too far advanced in
life to set Il new plantation at least we shall
lose years of time, which shall bitterly re-
greet.
He who has decided TO plant out an or
chard, having selected his location, should
consult those who have had long experience
in growing fruit, in regard to the varieties
best adapted to the soil he has selected; what
will grow we'll on heavy soil viii not always
grow equally well on a light soil it is there
fore important to know the character of the
soil before selecting varieties In purchasing
varieties the greatest caution should be
used the orchard should be made up of vel
known standard varieties, aud new varieties
should be introduced only as experiments.
Having made up list of varieties, the i'm
portaut question is whore to purchase. We
think it may be put down as q rule never t.
purchase of a stranger who seems to have nC
permanent abiding place; but if possible pur
chase Mt the nursery, and select the trees a!
they are taken from the ground if this can
not he done, then send to some reliable nur
seryman as near home rs one can be found
and require him to send trees not only witt
good tops but also good roots, never forget
ting that good roots are the most importan
portion of the tree; for with good root W,
can in time make good top, but the best toI
that over grew is of no value without root
1t has been almost tue universal opinion
that trees which have a large number of fl
hrou3 roots are better than those which hav
good si2ed roots with few or no fbres but
large number of carefully tried experiment
tend to prove that trees which have few or N
fbrous roots make a better growth the frs
year after being transplanted than thos
which have large masses of tibrous roots
The only way We can account for this IN
looked for result is that all trees when remov
I'd have the ends of the fbres or feedin
mouths of the roots broken of, and whel
transplanted send out new ones, and that tn
large roots send out large number of ney
tibres or feeding mouths more readily tina
the mass Of fibrous roots DO.
4 great deal has been said for and agains
the tap rOOt--some cOntending that the tire
will not grow or bear fruit without tap roO
while Others declare that a barren treo ma
be made TO bear by cutting of the tap root
but the many experiments we have tried hay