The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-17


At a farmers institute in Pennsyl
vania some years ago. u nurserymal
brought to tho institute, as a specimen
of his stock. tree four years old will
Il stem fully four and half feet higl
and a well-developed top. 1 told hin
that l would not plant an orchard O
such trees II they were given to mo
| for the head was too far above grount
for convenience in spraying after tn,
tree developed to any size. and tn,
wind would have such leverage or
IT that the trees would all soon be
leaning from the prevailing winds
! Nurserymen know that people AS q
rule wants big trees. and they try "a
meet the popular demand.
\ very large nurseryman near my
homo told me last year that an or
chardist planting very largo orchards
came 20 him some years ago. wanting
several thousand trees OF certain
variety OF apples. lie told him that
he could supply them In one year old
trees. but none older. After some per-
suasion he bought the one-ycar trees.
and since that no has not been able
to sell him anything but one-year
planting these
Time for Planting Fruit Trees.
What Is tho best time to plant fruit
trees. spring or fnll?" From Central
Virginia southwark l would always
plant in the fall all kinds of fruit
trees, except the tender fig. The tree.
where the soil does not freeze deeply
in winter will be making new feed
ing root flbres and hairs. ready to sup
ply the tree rs soon as the buds swell
In the spring, while. planted in spring,
the tops may swell and the buds start
and to a great extent exhaust the tree
before there are new feeding roots
started. and the tree may die. No
matter how carefully q tree is lifted
from the nursery, nor how carefully
II is packed for shipment, the feeding
parts of the roots are destroyed. These
feeding parts arc the almost micro
scopic root hairs out near the advanc-
ing tips OF the fine rootlets. and they
are invariably dried up. while the rest
OF the roots are perfectly sound. Hence
the advice often given to preserve all
the roots possible Is nonsense New
root fbres and hairs start more read
lily from clean pruned root than from
the old dried-up fbres. Therefore, in
planting. 1t Is always best to prune
the roots to about six inches in length
all around. Cut them with sloping
cut on the under side so that the cut
surface VIII be exposed to the moist
earth. Then, in planting tree. ram
every inch Of the soil tightly 10 the
roots as put in. in fact, as tight as
though setting gate post. This to
exclude the air and retain moisture
Then. with apple trees. cut back to
a bud about twenty inches from the
ground. and peach trees ten inches
some years ago at meeting of the
Virginia horticultural Society at Front
Royal. i made an address on fruit tree
planting. and especially urged the maxi
Ing of low stems Mr.. Hales, the fla
nous orchard.st of Georgia and Con-
necticut was present, and in the dis
cussion that followed my address said +:
What do we want with Il stem to a
tree more than enough to bear the
head? In my orchards In Georgia there
Is not tree with trunk more than
eight inches high, and n man can sit
on the ground and gather n great many
OF the peaches, and l have not n step
ladder In an orchard OF 200, 900 trees"
Here was pretty good authority for
!ow-headed trees, and you cannot get
the proper low heads on any fruit
trees older than one year in the MUIR
scry. Planting the pruned roots in
tho fail, the new root fibres start far
more quickly than ii you tried TO keep
all the roots.
| have number OF queries in re-
gard to the planting and care Of or
chards that ! Will reply 10 later. But
these suggestions arc intended .or
those now contemplating the purchase
of trees. The preparation OF the Land
and the subsequent treatment of the
trees 1 hope 10 give fully.
identifying Plnnts.
y Almost daily ! get little pieces OF
n la f,I
| tell the name OF the plant. I am
always glad 10 accommodate our
readers. but II is not possible usually
to identify "a plant from little slip
az leaves. To be positive about a
grass OF any other plant. / should
have the entire plant, roots ana all.
and The flower head Then ~ will nc
easy to give the name OF tho species
or variety. one man sent to-dny Il
little stem of clover with three or
four leaves. and wanted me to tell
MIN what sort OF clover 1t is. Leaves
of several species OF clover arc very
similar, and no one could identity tho
variety without tho flower head An
ether man sends me flower head that
fortunately tells tho story He saws
mat Is tall weed that is growing
freely on his land The white raceale
OF flowers at once enabled me to idcn-
ufy the plant as Me.ilctus alba, com
monty known as sweet clover, from
IN" odor OF the dried plant This
plant IL getting common in many
places. 1t makes fairly good forage
and wherever it grows the soil win
he FOUND inoculated for alfalfa. 30
that II can be used in inocuIatine
( other soil Tor alfalfa
y number Of others have sent ms
! Specimens Of clover with large
brown heads. This IS the nativ,
I buffalo clover Of the South. and II
would seem that IL has some value
nut II has never been brought into
4 cultivation and the seed are not 1,
4 commerce. 1t is an annual Ike Grim
/ son clover ana one might save some
seed ana SOW them in September anc
ascertain what value Il may hav.
when given Il good chance. The llt,l,
gray headed rabbit foot clover come.
IN many letters. This is OF course. 70
some extent a son improver. but OF ne
chiue ns forage plant. as It's growth
Is too small. II grows everywhere
I'VE. aud is commonly called white,
clover here. becousc IL starts from tn.
seIf-sown seed in tn" fall and koep.
green all winter On rich son IL vii
grow over q foot high, while general,
not more than six inches on the oil,
helds Another man sends a plant O
grass fully three feet or more high