The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-06-01


dry up, the limbs shrivel and death re-
suits. The suggestion that the ground
be kept very wet is a bad one for the
reason that the new roots so much
needed, can not grow in very wet soil
Air must penetrate the soil as we'll as
moisture in order for the work of form
ing new roots to take place. This idea
of heavy watering of transplanted trees
is based on the erroneous idea that the
old matured roots can take in water
If anyone Is interested in this matter
let him read Sorauer's work on PLANT
Physiology" He will learn that the
new roots act as a force pump and
the leaves as a suction pump. But the
suction pump of the leaves can not
draw water from the soil but only from
the trunk and limbs Of the tree so II
the force pump fails to work or does
not exist, the leaves pump the tree
dry and 1t dies.
Y
The inquiry has been sent to this
office asking If it is the proper thing
to slit the body of growing tree from
the limbs to the ground. No. The
same wise Architect that arranged for
the growth of the tree arranged for the
expansion Of the bark. It is quite a
mistake to regard the bark Of a tree
as dead matter. The outer coating is
dead and can be removed and often is,
without damage to the tree, but the
living part Of the bark is just as cap
able of growth as the tree is to take
on the cambium layer each year. Trees
grew and fourished for untold ages
before man existed on the earth. Some
how they managed to get along without
any Sitting Of the bark. There would
be about as much sense in Sitting the
skin Of a growing child or that Of an
alderman who drinks too much beer
as there would be in Sitting the bark
of trees so they can grow bigger
around. If the bark of tree Is dis
eased and seems to be dying there
might be some good in removing the
outer bark and possibly Sitting might
sometimes be beneficial, but where the
tree is in a healthy, growing condition
such tinkering can do no good and may
be harmful.
+
Where New York city gets it's best
apples is answered by a fruit dealer
Of that city at a recent meeting at
Rochester, N. Y. I copy the following
from Green's Fruit Grower for April
for it shows how the best trade OF
that geat city is reaching out for the
high grade apples we are raising on
the Pacific coast "A very lucid ex-
posture of the apple market situation
in New York City was given by George
T. Powell in a talk on apple varieties
for New York orchards. There are
first the fruit stores in Broadway, Fifth
Sixth and Madison avenues, where the
wealth of the city is located. Only
the best and most beautiful fruit is
wanted there, and this fruit is mostly
furnished from the Pacific coast. Next
comes the clubs and the best hotels.
Our New York apples do not go much
into these channels, either Even much
of the fine family trade is supplied
from the Pacific, although this trade
takes some of the best New York ap-
pies. The common family trade and
the italian push carts take the bulk
of our New York state apples" Mr.
Powell further says: 1--WE should also
take our lessons in packing from the
Pacific coast. The high class trade pre-
fers the Pacific coast apples, which are
regularly catalogued and sold at auc-
ton, the buyer picking for what he
wants, such as the fourier packs
(seventy-two apples), or best trade fol
which he sometimes pays $3.50 pei
box, or the 'five-tier packs which is
the next grade, and contains fine speci-
mems, but of smaller size This latter
grade is often bought by the italian
pushcart trade"
+
This is very suggestive to our apple
growers on the Pacific coast. I have
often called attention to the fact that