Book._rSlS__ The Science of Fruit Growing AND The Art of Cultivation Based on Nature 's Laws By VIRGIL BOGUE ALBION. NEW YORK Price $3.00 St) 66 - 6 :^\ ,^^" Copyrig^hts, 19x7. 1918, 1919, 1920 BY VIRGIL BOGUt Mf^R 22 192! THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS BY VIRGIL BOGUE, Albion, N. Y. LET US consider the great work that is being done to create and maintain the vegetable and animal kingdom in pro- ducing delicious fruits, attractive shape, fragrant and beautiful flowers of various shades and colors; and wonder who the Archi- tect can be, how long he has been designing them, to what part are we assigned in their creation, and what shall our harvest be. The Science of Fruit Growing God's workshop — what is it for, where is it, what does He make, what is the material used, and what is His great motor power? The word God is used to designate the Greater and Controller of everything. His workshop is in the leaf of plants of all de- scription. It consists of a system of cells corresponding to the lungs of a person, and from them there is an opening through the under side of the leaf representing the mouth and throat of a person, and apparently as sen- sitive in taking in and letting out the air to the air chambers of the leaf. Joining these air cells and separated from them by a deli- cate system of sensitive organs, is a set of cells representing the stomach, which receives the sap from the roots through a system of veins. It is in these parts w^here the action of the great power of heat and light make chloroplast which is the real live molecule of Based on Nature's Laws. vegetable life, usually green in color as we see raost leaves to be. It unites with the sap and circulates through the whole plant, aiding to reinvigorate any weak parts and to construct new parts. The making of chloroplast is the primary action for the construction of all vegetable growth on the earth's surface, and only -for it, the earth would be bare of all vegetable growth and all animals that subsist on vegetable growth. The ordinary apple leaf has about one hundred thousand breathing cells opening from the under side of it, to spray the leaves in the early part of the growing season (which is the time it is doing its best work) with a thick spray, the nature of which would form a coating over the opening of the breathing cells, would reduce the efficiency of the leaf. To spray the tree in its dormant state with a solution that will kill fungii and the eggs of The Science of Fruit Growing insects, is very beneficial. If there are in- jurious insects in sufficient quantities to injure the fruit or tree in its growing season, it should be sprayed with a thin poison liquid that will interfere with the action of the leaf as little as possible. The necessity for the air cells of a leaf being furnished regularly with an abundance of pure air, corresponds with the needs of pure air for the lungs of an animal. All leaves are sensitive to heat and cold, wet and dry conditions. They flourish where the condi- tions seem best adapted to them. Some are more sensitive to the changes at different sea- sons of the year than others. While the grapevine flourishes over a large area of country, it fails to develop the sugar from the starch condition at such locations as have cool nights when it is ripening. The cool air stops the working of the leaf, and the fruit remains Based on Nature's Laws. in about the same condition of ripening. Though vines allowed to grow in the top of tall trees or trailed up under the eaves of a tall building above the strata of cold air, ripen their fruit to perfection, as does the vine growing in the favored location under the influence of a lake that keeps the air warm at that season of growth. Severe electric storms have a similar ef- fect on the leaves as a light frost. As elec- tric storms come at the season of the year when the trees are making the best growth, their bad effect is more often over- come by elimination. We find by observation and reasoning, that trees have life, and are constructed and maintained by the same natural laws that govern and maintain the animal kingdom. That is, they have the circulation of the sap, The Science of Fruit Growing which represents the blood of the animal. This circulation is continuous throughout the growing season. We notice by cutting off a part of the top or roots during the growing season, it immediately withers and dies and in many cases where the tree is all cut off near the ground in the growing season, the roots and top both die, and we therefore con- clude, naturally, that the one is dependent on the other. The life of the tree is in its molecules, with functions similar to those in the animal king- dom to a certain extent. Some of these are constructive and others digestive and dis- tributive. They do the work of reinvigorat- ing by cleansing the marred or unhealthy parts, as we can see by examining the inner part of the body of the tree or large limbs, that the annual courses of growth show nearly a perfect condition, when we know they had Based on Nature's Laws. been severely bruised, and many small limbs cut from them. Trees differ in their ability to cleanse and re-establish the tissues, as shown by the pine. Many of their knots are not wholly eliminated. This would tend to show that there were two circulations of the sap: one in the bark and outer courses of the wood and between them; the other from the bark to and from the heart or center of the tree. A cross section of a seasoned oak tree shows this distinctly. The sap is quite thin and watery in the forepart of the growing season, but grows thicker as the season advances, finally reaching a state of solidity located in the bark and outer edges of the wood, to remain through its dormant season, then to be en- livened and brought into action by the warm moist atmosphere of spring, thus to continue its previous season's growth. As a proof of 10 The Science of Fruit Growing this, saw a limb of two inches in diameter from a bearing Apple tree in the spring, just as the sap is starting, and put the end in a dish of warm water, keeping it in a warm, moist atmosphere. The limb will leaf, blos- som, and continue its growth until its life substance is exhausted. As proof of the location of the life sub- stance through its dormant stage, bore a hole one-half inch deep into a sugar maple tree in the spring, and let the sap run till it is dry; then bore it in another inch,and it will run more sap, apparently nearly as well filled with sugar as the first. This will also illus- trate how the sap, in its thin liquid shape, takes up the sugar or real life substance of the tree and carries it to the leaves, to be digested or separated into its different parts, forming a new growth of wood, bark, leaves, roots, blossoms and fruit. Based on Nature's Laws. 11 We find that a higher state of vitality is produced when the roots and tops are fur- nished regularly with the necessary condi- tions and material for its growth. We want not only vitality, but matured vitality, in the fruit tree, in order to have it stand the debili- tating effects of Winter, and hold and grow its fruit after it is set. Nature has furnished a sufficient amount of this in the tree to pro- duce occasional crops of fine fruit in those sections where fruit naturally grows. The fruit grower finds it necessary to do something more to aid the tree in securing its moisture more regularly and its feeding ma- terial more abundantly. The bacteria that is necessary to decompose vegetable matter in the soil, in order to make plant food available for the feeding of the roots, does not do its best work when the soil is crusted, hard, or covered with sod, but does it when the ground 12 The Science of Fruit Growing is frequently cultivated and broken up into fine parts, so the air is readily admitted to the place where the decomposition is going on, and is facilitated by the abundance of fresh air that enters into the process' of de- composition of vegetable matter, and the growth of plants. The tree can not live any great length of time with its roots in water. Neither can it produce a regular and sufficient circulation of its sap without moisture in sufficient quan- tities to supply its needs. The nearer we can furnish regularly the needed moisture, and in its proper season, the more matured vital- ity it will possess, and like the hill of corn, the size and maturity of the ear it produces de- pends on the amount of matured vitality in the stalk. For instance, a hill of corn planted early and which through neglect dries up, produces little, and one planted late produces Based on Nature's Laws. 1^ an immaturecl ear of but little value. The fruit-bearing tree is as sensitive to cultiva- tion as a hill of corn. They both use the same conditions for their growth. To obtain the best results, they both need to be planted far enough apart so that the sun can strike the land where their roots feed. A root grown in the sun is worth more for producing matured vitality than one grown in the shade. This is readily shown by trying to grow either in the shade of a building. Trees bear best when furnished appar- ently an excess amount of fertilizer, and the land well plowed, thoroughly and often cul- tivated, from early Spring to the first of Sep- tember, then seeded to chickweed or some Fall plant that grows mostly on moisture. One reason why orchards located near lakes bear more regularly than those inland, is that moist cloudy conditions that aid the trees in 14 The Science of Fruit Growing growing at the season when the fruit bud is maturing its vitality for the following year's crop. Trees growing further away from the lakes are more often matured by the sun be- fore they are fully developed. They both ap- pear to blossom about the same, but while one holds and grows the fruit, the other more often drops it before maturity. This relates to trees growing under neglect and depending entirely on natural conditions. Where the trees grow under more sunny conditions, and are furnished the necessary moisture and food regularly by cultivation, they produce good crops of better colored fruit, which means better flavor. Fruits, like flowers, reach the highest state of perfection in proportion to the amount of sunlight they receive, other conditions being equal. The individuality of the fruit is a germ Based on Nature's Laws. 15 much smaller than the head of a pin, located just under the base of the bud in a jet. If a jet of a Greening or any variety is transferred to another variety and grows, the fruit born from it would be of the variety from which it was taken. This is called budding, and by it one tree can be made to produce many dis- tinct varieties of apples. The budding should be done when the new growth is nearly ma- tured, and the sap in the tree to be budded is beginning to thicken. Under such condi- tions the bud and the tree unite readily. Trees do not produce fruit in the younger stages of their growth. Like the animal kingdom, they seem to require a matured state for reproduction. The growth of the fruit spurs represent the necessary matured condition for reproduction. The first blos- soms on a young tree seldom produce fruit, as the tree has to advance beyond that stage. 16 The Science of Fruit Growing One leaf will not produce fruit. It requires a number, and the larger proportion of leaves to a fruit, the better and the nearer the leaves to the fruit, the better action they have in producing it. Each variety of fruit has its special sea- sons and necessary conditions to develop and mature its fruit germ which is done the year before it bears fruit. The productiveness of a tree depends in a large measure on the structure of the leaf and its adaptability to conditions. To illustrate, take the Greening, its terminal leaves are usually the largest it produces in the season, indicating that the maturing of the tree is continued till the last of the season, and is generally known to be a great and regular bearer of fruit. In contrast to this we will take the Esopus Spitzenberg, the leaves of which are the smallest at the last of the season's growth, and taper back in Based on Nature's Laws. 17 size to those grown in mid-season. That does not represent the best conditions for produc- ing a developed and mature condition of the germ. Hence it is only under the most favor- able conditions that this variety bears. Other illustrations are numerous. When starting an orchard, it is best to secure nursery trees that have been budded or grafted from bearing trees, as in many cases they have been rebudded from nursery trees for a dozen or more generations, which eliminates in a large measure the nature of reproduction of fruit, and they do not bear as young as when budded from bearing trees. The tree should be cared for from the time it is dug from the nursery until it is planted, in the best way to keep it from deteriorating in vitality by drying up or the roots being frosted when out of the ground or exposed in a cold room or put in water, especially cold 18 The Science of Fruit Growing water, as it requires more attention to re- invigorate it after its vitality lias been re- duced fifty per cent, or more by transplanting. The trees should be planted in a good pul- verized and moderately rich soil, and have the dirt packed well around the roots. The roots can be puddled in a thin mud before planting, but never wet down the dirt in the hole when planting, as it later produces a hard, dry- baked condition that may require a year or more to change to be like the surrounding ground, in the meantime the tree will do poor- ly. If a farmer was asked how he would treat a small piece of ground so that it would not grow weeds or anything else with natural thrift, he would reply: *' Spade it in the Spring when w^et, and stamp it down thor- oughly." This is the way many plant trees. The tree should be given such care as is neces- sary to furnish its requirements for a con- Based on Nature's Laws. 19 tinuous growth, from the time it is set until it dies of old age. Trimming should be started from the be- ginning by cutting off all mutilated roots smoothly, when planting, so they will callous more readily and start fine roots. About one- third of the ends of the last year's growth of the tops should be cut off, in order to start the new growth from well-matured wood. The centre of the tree should be al- lowed to grow and be maintained throughout its whole existence. After the first year the side branches should be cut off to within six inches of the tree, and allowed to produce all the side growth they can of any nature. The following year anything growing on the short growth over six inches, should be shortened to six inches, and also the side growth on the center, until the tree reaches a height at which you want the first permanent limb to 20 The Science of Fruit Growing grow, and then leave a limb for permanent growth, and above that six inches to a foot on another side of the tree leave another limb, proceeding in this manner until five or six have been left for permanent growth. These should be cut back a little on the ends, and the limbs making too large a growth on its sides, in order to force a production of as many fruit spurs and short growths on the body and main limbs as possible. The leaves on these short twigs serve to make the main limbs stocky and are performing near it their office of developing the whole tree, root and branches. Where there are no short twigs and the sap has to traverse a long body, and then a long limb to reach the few leaves at the end of it, and return lightly reinvigorated with chlorophyll to construct and reinvigor- ate the roots, it can not be expected that such a condition would produce as favorable re- Based on Nature's Laws. 21 suits as would follow where the body and large limbs are more covered with short twigs and fruit spurs. Under the latter condition you would seldom see any water sprouts that Nature is always producing on large bare limbs. Four or five feet above the first started permanent limbs, should be grown another lot and so on, as high as you wish to have the tree grow. Always aim to produce and preserve as many short twigs on the larger limbs as is possible. If the short limbs grow too strong and fill in the inside too much, cut them back, and so force out more fruit spurs on them. Remem- ber, that one leaf does not make an Apple and that the more fruit-spur leaves you can pro- duce on the body and main limbs, the better. A large percentage of the fruit will grow on these short twigs. There are many orchards in Western New York that are practically and 22 The Science of Fruit Growing scientifically trimmed mider the present sys- tem of culture, that are in such a weak state of vitality that many of their limbs are dying from exhaustion, the sap not being able to traverse the distance necessary to reach the leaves on the ends of the limbs, and then re- turn with the necessary nourishment to con- tinue life, and that too under good conditions and cultivation. For the most part these trees do not and cannot produce as many pounds of fruit as they did ten years ago, or what they could have produced if they had never been trimmed. Trees properly trimmed from the beginning under this plan, would eliminate the necessity of cutting out large limbs in later years, as is very often the case. Every time a limb or root of a tree is cut off, it injures the tree. There are some seasons of the year when to trim a tree injures it most. We are often told that the time to cut Based on Nature's Laws. 23 bushes or trees to kill them is in August. The reason I assume for plants dying when cut at this time, is that the tree or bushes has reached its highest state of growth, and be- gins the maturing of the growth, which it is not able to do without the aid of the leaves, decomposition sets in, and it dies. To trim trees late in the Fall or Winter, exposes the tender inner part of the bark. The freezing and thawing makes a bad sore, which extends much farther under the bark than is apparent from the outside and has to be reinvigorated by the sap in summer, the same as the blood heals a sore. On nursery trees, where the re- sults are more readily observed, it has often affected the trees so badly, especially the Baldwins, that the heart would become black and punky, and in later years the tree would become worthless and die. A little statement in a book on tree culture 24 The Science of Fruit Growing sent out many years ago from Rochester, N. Y., stated: ''''Trim any time your knife was sharpr This was the cause of many thousand worthless trees. To preserve the greatest amount of vigor the tree should be trimmed just before the leaves start in the Spring. To trim just after the leaves start is very weakening. It grows less injurious as the season advances, up to about July 1st, after which it is more injurious on fruit- bearing trees until Winter. Where large limbs have to be cut off, it should be at the collar and not in the shoulder, as the shoulder possesses the healing nature of growth and the limb does not; the cut should be imme- diately painted with linseed oil and iron ore, to keep the fungii parasites out until it can grow over. Never use any animal oil on trees unless made into soap. The functions of the roots are to serve as Based on Nature's Laws. 25 the stomach of the tree, to receive the moist- ure and food necessary for the maintainance of the tree. They work in cpnjunction with the leaves, which act as the lungs. The suc- cess of this depends on the amount of moist- ure and food available and the regularity with which it is obtained. Our ancestors found that by plowing and cultivating the soil, plants and trees produced a greater growth and yield than when planted in solid ground: in most cases the more the land is cultivated, the larger the growth. The roots of trees vary, according to the depth of the soil they flourish in, and also de- pend on the variety of the tree and the solidity of the soil. They require a certain amount of healthy air, light and sunshine, and they thrive best where they can best secure these. An excess amount of moisture in the ground at the growing season for an 26 The Science of Fruit Growing extended period reduces the quality of the sap in an Apple tree until it weakens and dies. If it does not kill the tree it very often pre- vents it from producing enough matured vitality to hold its fruit after the blossoming- season for that and the following year. When the ground becomes very dry from the Sum- mer drouth, the root will go deeper into the ground, seeking moisture. As the stronger of the roots will take the lead downward, many of the smaller roots become inactive and die. The root has the same nature as the top, in always sending out branches to gather its requirements. Often they get so deep that the Spring rains following, drown them out for the want of air, they die, and the tree starts out roots near the surface again. If we can reason that the tree requires matured roots, the same as the top requires matured fruit spurs in order to produce fruit. Based on Nature's Laws. 27 then many of the trees* failure to produce, may be accounted for and very strong evi- dence of the value of cultivation, which keeps the roots near the surface of the ground. Also this demonstrates the value of deep under- drains. A root grown where the sunlight can strike the earth above it, is much more valuable than one grown in the shade. The place to put manure is outside the shade of the tree, to have it do the most good, for the more roots feeding in the sun- light, the better. Nearly all substances sub- ject to decomposition by the ground are good to produce growth. Vegetable and mineral substances are better than animal. Warm, moist ground is a great deodorizer and de- composer of manural substances. Dry ground is much less active or efficient. As trees and plants get their nourishment 28 The Science of Fruit Grow mg from the soil through the roots, it is well to keep the soil in as good condition as possible to feed the roots all the time the tree or plant is growing. The ends of these roots are porous, like a sponge, and absorb the moist- ure, which is in the form of a film surrounding each grain of soil, and is enriched by the ma- terial in the grain of earth and the gases and spirits formed by the decomposed manural substances in the soil, by action of heat and moisture, and then conveyed to the leaves by capillary attraction. The quality of the moisture called sap, so obtained, depends on the available proportions of potash, phos- phoric acid and nitrogen as necessaries, and lime, iron, magnesia and other chemicals as assistants. Nearly all vegetable substances, except a few heavily laden with acids, that are susceptible to decomposition when well assimilated in the soil under action of heat Based on Nature's Laws. 29 and moisture, make good plant food. The fomenting condition of the soil is kept even and continuous in proportion as the soil is kept cultivated under favorable conditions. A barrel of fine refuse salt, sown evenly over an acre of finely pulverized dry land, will aid in promoting vegetable growth in a dry time. Care should be taken not to sow it in lumps or piles, as the impurities in salt draws moisture from the atmosphere. If the dense liquid or brine formed by it should come in contact with the roots of the trees in sufficient quantity, it wouhl draw the less dense liquid or sap from the roots, and kill them the same way tliat it kills grass, viz., by drawing the moisture from its roots. Light acting on the leaves develops chlorophyll, which is the green color of vege- tation. It digests or elaborates the sap, which 30 The Science of Fruit Crowing fits it for the production of new cells that form the extensions of new growths of leaves, wood and fruit. The solidity of the vegetable or fruit depends on the amount of light the leaves receive. The leaves should be kept as free as possible from all fungii or foreign substances and in a growing con- dition, that its cells may be open to receive the light, and not dry up from lack of sap. When in a healthy, growing condition the leaf absorbs oxygen and hydrogen from the air in the day, and casts off surplus oxygen and carbonic acid at night. The oxygen is necessary for its development, and the car- bonic acid becomes a foreign substance to be eliminated for the health of the plant. If the leaf is not able to receive oxygen freely, or if there is a lack of free elimination of the foreign substances, it would create a clogging of the growing system and produce bad re- Based on Nature's Laws. 31 suits, the same as in the animal system. The plant, in trying to eliminate foreign substance in the growing season, caused by frozen cells, is often overtaxed, and dies, or continues its life in a weakened state, producing little results. If the frozen part of a tree or plant could be removed by cutting it off as soon as it is frozen, it would save the tree or plant from having to eliminate the foreign matter or dead molecules in the sap through its regular system of growth. The ability of a tree to recover from the effects of a late Spring freeze, and mature its fruit, depends on the amount of matured vitality it has to aid its growth, and the severity of the freeze. It is more exhausting to a tree to let it hold its fruit until it ripens and drop off itself, than it is to pick it off as soon as it is ready 2)2 The Science of Fruit Growing for the market. The difference in many in- stances means a failure in fruit production the following year. It is injurious to a tree to allow its fruit to decay on the ground under it. As far as possible it should be removed. The dead leaves seem to be good fertilizer, and they should be held on the ground as they fall by some late fall growing plant until plowed under. To plow the land in the late fall or early winter, kills many of the insects that winter in the ground. The leaves and plants plowed under are ready to decay in the Spring as soon as the warm weather de- velops the bacteria necessary for decomposi- tion, and so becomes available for plant food. The fungii that is on the leaves and rejected fruit, develops in the Spring, when the leaves and rejected fruit are allowed to remain on the ground, into millions of spores at a tem- perature of 45 degrees, which float in the air. Based on Nature's Laws. ZZ alighting on everything with which they come in contact, but only grow where they can get nourishment suitable for their needs. The most of fruits, like grasses, have a better flavor when harvested just before their seeds ripen, and allowed to cure or ripen slowly in a cool place. The highest state of perfection in the fruit is produced where it has been regularly fur- nished its necessities for growth while in its tannin, starch and sugar stages. An imper- fect tannin cannot produce a perfect starch, and an imperfect starch cannot produce a perfect sugar, which are the different stages of growth in the fruit. For want of application a very little bene- fit is being received from our knowledge of the beneficial animals, birds and insects. There are enough of them if they were prop- 34 The Science of Fruit Growing erly fostered to destroy all the injurious in- sects that injure the trees and vegetable plants. There is the skunk or polecat, which is a busy worker at night — when it feels free to roam without being molested, it has an in- stinct to detect grubs, snails and other in- sects, when it is walking over the ground, located at a depth of two inches from the sur- face of the ground, and digs them out for its food. It is shy of people, and only uses its power of defense when in danger. It lives mostly in burrows in the ground in localities where it is not likely to be molested. The snake, of which there are many kinds that are harmless, lives mostly on mice, ground moles, insects, and berries. They live mostly in stone piles, a fence post set with stones around it makes a satisfactory place Based on Nature's Laws. 35 for them to live. The toads live on insects gathered with their tongue, which is extreme- ly long and so constructed that it can catch and hold a very quick insect. It likes to live under a flat stone raised just far enough above the ground for it to enter. A few such homes located along the edge of the garden would soon be well occupied, and a great reduction of insects in the garden would follow. The wasp, hornet, sweat bees, and lady bugs, are great butchers of insects and eaters of insects' eggs. The wasp stings many in- sects — among them the green pear worm — until it dies. It then drags it to a place where it has a hole in the ground, where it puts it, then lays an egg in the worm and covers it up, apparently with a satisfaction that it has done something to perpetuate its kind, as the larvae formed from the egg feeds on the de- composing insect. They prefer to live in a 36 The Science of Fruit Growing qniot place, often in the top of a building that is not much frequented by people. The hornet does the same killing of in- sects, but it prefers a hollow stalk of a plant in which to put the insect, and deposit its egg. There are different kinds of birds that are great devourers of insects and pos- sess a wonderful instinct for locating them. The woodpecker has the instinct to locate a grub feeding in and under the bark of a tree, and has strength in its bill to drill a hole and get it to eat. It is continually hunting on trees for insects. It likes its home in a dense wooded ravine, where it raises its young in a hole in a tree that it has made with its own bill. The Creator has provided all these and many other helpful animals, birds, and insects, with a nature of reproduction and to Based on Nature's Laws. 37 seek seclusion for their homes. They would be of great benefit if they were protected, in- stead of often being foolishly killed. To understand these conditions and try to produce them will give more and regular compensation for the labor and expense be- stowed on the producing of fruits, vegetables, grains and flowers. Apply the principles herein advanced to the care of your orchard, and note results. THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS Part II. The fruit growing' season in the Western New York fruit belt is too short to develop and mature the commercial varieties of fruit now grown in that section. The Newtown Pippin, Peck^s Pleasant, Wine Saps, Spitzen- bergs and other varieties are finding better climatic conditions in the Virginias, and when grown there they are supplying th(» markets at a higher price and in a much more satis- factory manner tlian when grown in their (^arlier home. Western New York, where the 40 Tht Science of hrnil (ir.V K'*<>win^ llic lice on oilier vji riclics ilini slnrl, llicii* /^rovvl.li \\\. llic snrnc I imc. Wc often s<'(' I'lMiils l,li;d, Jirc ciicclscd from (•lininlic cniises, wIhmi in llK^ir enrlicr ^rowinti^ Hcnson, show liij^li coloring I'loni liial, iinic iill li;ii\'<'slrd. ( )n(M' 1 lie ('((inponcnl, parts of vct^ ('l;d>l<' life nrc ciicrnicjiIlN' s('|)jirnt('(l, they re nniin so unless hy naliire it is rein\'i;^"oriit('d w'il 11 eliloropliyll. Ildscd on Nature's Laws. 55 Wlicn tlic l^'Jif HtopH making (•Jil()r()f)hyll, or W llic <;n>wiri^ frnil is not, id)l(' to ^ci po- \'(H',t (',\\\()ro\)\\y\\y (l(;t(*ri()raii()n ('.oiuuh^ucoh and llic cfK^rnic'als in ilic siif) show ilxMr coloring, vvliicli is nsnnlly yellow. Wlicri ilic rrnii in lli;il, ripcnin'^ sln'^c is receiving dirccl or rc- fl('(',l,(M| rays of ili<* sun, it shows n'd. ^Fhc laic .Innc (lr"of) oi* the n^l vaiiciies ol" ;if)f)l('S or a p.-u'jly ^^fown jif)f)le iluii is l\ill('<| by ;i worm lecdin*^- on its vitnl f)nrls, turns red in i[i(» f)roc,(;HH of dyin^. II is of a dinK.Y color, it /lot li;ivin«4" niaclicd ;i ili^^ri'i' of maturity to rorrn fjctfcct c-hcmicals Tor" jlic l)ri?llr; n^^ar thtt bb^w fd, whit/i or y<;How ^:orn wiJI not d^iVf*b>p cobiring on tbe k<',ni('.\H If tfj<- making of ^-hlorophyl) in Huddonly ntopp^-d by an t-UtcXrw. Htorm, or front hcUtif' it n-iuthftH a HuiTic'u'Aii (U'VcAo})- mont, HO tfiat thr* r;brfmir;a)H forming tbr? Hap f;an HopardUt ^^nough to nbow thc'ir c/Aorn. Based on Nature's Imws. 59 Other examples are numerous. When in that state they can only be jjre vented from (laciSLY- ing ?>y evaporating the moisture from them. They being an incomplete organism, are un- healthy for food. If eaten, it has to be elim- inated from the system as poison, if not by the organs intended for that work, then by an exodus through the skin, as exemplified by pimples, boils, carbuncles, etc., instead of be- ing an assistance for maintenance. They are on the same order for assimilation as tainted meat, spoiled eggs and partly decayed vege- tables, or those whose development was pre- maturely stopped through blight. I'o produce a perfect fruit, vegetable or grain, there should be all the requisite ele- ments in the soil in a soluble state to make a perfect growth. The plant should not be obliged or necessitated to make lime take the 60 The Science of I'ruit Growing \)\iiCAt of fioiuHh or ()ih(*r OHHonlial iri^njdiontH, an it ofUtniirrHiH Ih. It iw alrnoHi irnpoHsibh* io kcc^f) lti(; JoavoH dcnr ()!* rniniatijn; Tu'c nt\(\ Fun^ii wli(;ri grown on irnfX'rIVM'i food. Pfiloxoria, a rnoHt (Irc/ddcd para.sitic; (JiH(*aH(i of Uh; grafxj hrjif of long Htari(Jing in l^'rano(», was (ilirninaUni by apply- ing a Jihoral amount of f)otaH[i io Ific; Hoil. ^riicrc iivit oU)(*r irnf)rop(*r ingn;(Ji(intH in growl li, i\\id if knowfi and corroelctd would H;iv(t rnijcii spraying an(J f)ro(JiJc.(; a h(;tt(;r arti clc of food. Barring i\\(t hnd (dTcc.tH of an injnriouH (diniatic- fondiliofi, rriiij, h(*aring troos ought to fx'Jir ;i lijir siz(i orof) of fxjrioc.t fruit ovory y(*ar if tlic^ tr(!(; is giv(;n prop(;r oaro and nour- iKlirncint and tli(; fruit thinned sufficiciritly to cnahh* th(r troo to (Jov(;lof) th(i fruit without itH oxhauKtion h(;Iow ;i normal growing condi- Based on Nature's Laws. 61 tion. '^rhis can Ix* dories without tlie uHe of f'uM^ii Kprays or f)oison (ixoept in a few caHes, and tlioHo only till wo oan loarn fiow to com- bat them with nature's agencies and put thcim in op(;ration. Many fruit trees would Ixi rnon* profitahh* if th(*y w(;r(? ^raftc'd to otlier varieties which can h(; done any time in th(.' Spring after the heavy freezing weather has f)ass(;d, till the leaves are half ^rown in size. The best time to do it is just before tlie buds start on the tree, as it would soon [)(; ready to furnish sap for its growth. Af)out one-half of th(i lar^e limbs should he ^raftcMJ (tiivM y(;ar, h-avin;^ on(* year fxdAvccri i\\i\ ^raftin^. '^IHiis wi'I ieavci (;nc>u^h leaves to make the necessary amount of cidorophyll to k(*(ip the tree in a normal condition of growth. After the second grafting has made onr; year's growth all 62 The Science of Fruit Growing the remaining ungrafted limbs can be re- moved. The s(3ions sliouhl be cut from bear- ing trees in the Fall after the leaves on them have fallen and before there is hard freezing weather. The scions should be put in a sepa- rate tight box, packed in hay, straw, waste or sawdust, and put in a cool place where they will not freeze, till used. The middle third of the scion is the best to use. There is so much sap passing over the first third of the scion from the tree end, the buds do not fully develop; if used they are so slow in starting to grow that they do not prove satisfactory. The last third of the scion in the most of va- rieties are not fully matured and are more likely to dry up when grafted before they can receive nourishment from the tree. The stub should be grafted as soon as the limb is cut off, the end of the limb and the crack on the sides of the limb that was made by the split- Based on Nature's Laws. 63 ting of the limb, in order to insert the scion, should be covered with wax and at least four inches below where you can see the crack, as the bark often dries and shows the crack ex- tended below what is apparent. The waxing should be done to keep the air out. A little wax put on the end of the scion will keep it from drying. The scion should be cut wedge shape for at least one inch, with two buds on it. When set firmly in the crack made by splitting the end of the limb, the inner part of the bark of both the scion and limb should come together, to make sure the scion can be set a little crossing the two inner barks. The grafting should be done in a mild day, so the wax will work freely. Use no grease but tal- low to put on your hands, to keep the wax from sticking to them, and not any more grease than is necessary, as it requires but little to kill a scion. To prevent the wind 64 The Science of Fruit Growing from breaking out the scion where it grows too fast the first Summer, it can be kept cut back to twelve to eighteen inches in length. The wax is made by boiling for ^\e minutes after it is melted over a slow fire in a kettle that holds at least five times the amount of the following ingredients. Four pounds of rosin, two pounds of beeswax and one-half pint of boiled linseed oil. Stir it well and see it does not boil over; if inclined to, remove it from the fire for a minute or two, and then replace. When done pour it in a tub containing fifty times the amount of water to cool it, and then pull it as you would in making candy, for five min- utes, and leave it in chunks the size of a ball. When wanted to use put it in warm water till it is soft. The quince is one of the most profitable fruits grown and is one of the most neglected. Based on Nature's Laws. 65 It being a bush, its roots live near the surface of the ground. Its nature requires a very even degree of moisture throughout the grow- ing season. It cannot stand excessive wet or dry conditions as well as fruit trees. If the quince bush fails to receive the necessary amount of moisture for the growing and ma- turing of its fruit at the last of the fruit-grow- ing season, the fruit cells will break down, which makes a fine place for fungi to grow. In some cases the condition is so bad that the fruit is worthless. Light showers or dews prepare the skin over the broken cells of fruit to receive the fungii more readily. The crack- ing open of fruit is the result of a rapid growth following a stunted condition. The orchard should be cultivated often and shal- low, and not allow weeds or a cover crop to take the moisture at the critical time of its development. These are some of the condi- 66 The Science of Fruit Growing tions when it is advisable to sow salt or cover the ground with a thick covering of hay, straw or any coarse mulching, to keep the air and sun from evaporating the moisture. The bush should be grown as a bush, and not with any length of body. It needs a little thinning out from the inside, otherwise it will adjust itself to conditions. It does best on rich soil. The bush does not have visible fruit buds, but grows one-half inch or more in the Spring be- fore it blossoms. It depends on the amount of the matured vitality in the limb to set and hold its fruit. Like peaches and some other trees, it is often infected with borers, a little grub that lives on the inside of the tree. They are hatched from an Qgg, that is laid in the bark near the ground by a fly that is easily caught by toads. The grubs are best dug out of the tree by using a quarter inch gauge chisel, starting at the hole leading to the grub Based on Nature's Laws. 67 that is apparent from the fine borings, and chisel out the bark by following the burrows left by the grub till it is found. Nature will soon heal the chiseled opening. The fruit of the strawberry consists of a little pulp, a thin skin well filled with a highly flavored juice or water. When the plant fails to furnish the fruit with the necessary mois- ture for its development, the skin stops filling, leaving the berry of small size. A good way to aid the plant to get the necessary moisture is to plant the rows at least five feet apart and cultivate the ground as often as it is neces- sary to keep the land moist or mulch with litter and irrigate. The plant is a free feeder and does its best growing, in a comparatively few days, in the early part of the growing season. The pulp of fruit consists of a combination 68 The Science of Fruit Growing of organisms that require a sufficient amount of fresh air to aid it in the completion of its cycle of life from the time it is picked till it reaches a decayed state, at which time it does not furnish nourishment to the animal sys- tem. If fruit is x>icked when the temperature is above the normal and put in a close package in that condition, and stored in a close, un- ventilated room for any length of time, the cells of the fruit will commence to collapse, and will soon show it, in some varieties, in the form that is called scald, on the outside while it is ripening the fruit through its whole. If fruit must be packed when it is hot, it should be put where the heat will be taken out as soon as possible, and kept with as little fluctuation of temperature as possible. A stream of water flowing through the room Based on Nature's Laws. 69 where the fruit is kept adds materially to its keeping (juality, as shown in its firmness and flavor. When the fruit is taken from the cold storage, its temperature should be raised gradually, to the height in which it is ex- pected to be kept until used. Fruit that is frozen should be treated in the same way, to prevent it from showing its disastrous effect immediately. The warm, moist atmosphere of Spring has an ideal process of extracting frost from everything with as little loss of life as possible. Trees, especially peach trees, should not be excessively cut back for the purpose of forcing a growth of a large sized fruit. It does not give a tree a chance to fully develop all its constructive parts. Under that condi- tion it more readily succumbs to extreme 70 The Science of Fruit Growing climatic conditions and dies at an early age, and is more likely to be infected with insects and diseases. The leaves, which constitute the manu- facturing power of life, should be increased in numbers instead of decreased on every bear- int>- tree and plant, that their combined work can produce more matured vitality in the short season of growth. A little study on these lines will lead one to see where more leaves can be grown on a tree, and at the same time not interfere with the light and air striking the leaves located near where the fruit is growing. Nature has provided for leaves to die when they get too thick, and shaded too mucli to be useful for growth. In this let nature have its way, at least on the leaves growing on the limbs and body near the ground. Based on Nature's Laws. 71 A well enriched clay loam of good depth, underlaid with porous red clay with some lit- tle gravel stones mixed in it, seems to be the strongest and best soil for the growth of all kinds of trees and plants; especially in flow- ers where bright colors are desired, the potash and iron that is more plentiful in such soil, form the basis of the colors in flowers and fruits. It is easier to keep the trees and plants in a continuous growth than in other soils. It is very clearly demonstrated in the blossoming of Hybrid Perpetual Roses, which require a strong continuous growth for a con- tinuous blossom of large bright colored roses. Fruits and flowers grown on such soil have a solidity that adds materially to their keeping quality. Home decoration and landscape attraction is becoming more appreciated than in former years, as there are many more who can have 72 The Science of Fruit Growing what was formerly reserved for the rich. Iq cultivating a taste for the best effect every- thing should be arranged so it will appear, oji sight, to be just as it should be by nature. The house, located with reference to the road and other permanent improvements. The walks, leading from the house to the road or drive, where they would be most accessable for the greatest number likely to use them. In locating the large growing trees which are likely to be the longest standing, make full allowance for the space they will occupy when full grown, whether they are set for beauty or shade, or their combination. Other space that would seem to be more attractive or restful to the eye, can be planted to smaller growing trees or shrubbery. The selfish feature has so disappeared that the planting of hedges to keep the home Based on Nature's Laws. y^ isolated, or protected from mischievous peo- ple, has been largely done away with. The lawns extended to the edge of the path, with beds containing attractive flowers a little way inside of the border, is too often to be admired, without little urchins playing on the lawn, that give the home its best effect. The back yard, depending on its size, should be planted to vegetables and summer ripening fruits as they, by all means, want to be used when freshly picked. The largest trees should be located first, where, when grown, the limbs or shade of them will not extend over the line of the lot, other trees of smaller growing size should be located next, and then the berries and other small fruits. If the space is limited, grape vines can be used for covering screens and allowed to grow as high as is consistent with looks. 74 Till- S( ir>ic(' of I'niil Growing Tlic wnlks should cxIcmkI jiroinid tlic ^jir- (l(Mi ;mleasant features. If the park is larg(^, its drives should be laid out, first in conformity with whatever tli(^ f)(»nnanent interesting features there may be, and what is contemplated to be con- structed. Th(i entertaining features should be divided into two or more places. Those intended for children should be located where it is the easiest reached, that they may visit them often. Those intended more for grown people can be located further away, and in such places as will make i\w. whole park inter esting. The drives and paths should be wide, and graded to conform with the surround- ings. They should be constructed with a tile drain in their center, laid at a depth of four or live feet, with frequent side outlets to let Id The Science of Fruit Growing the water off. The ditch should be filled with one foot of coarse gravel, and above that with small size stones to the top, making a well drained bed to build the road on, whether of dirt, concrete or asphalt. The making of a dry road bed is the primary feature of mak- ing a road for durability, and will be used more extensively when people have learned its value. In putting the drain under the center of the road, it is not as likely to freeze as when put on either side, and is always ready to care for any water that comes to it. The deeper it is made and the longer it stands, the wider space and better it will drain. In planting the larger growing trees, care should be taken to place them where they will not have to be removed. Never nearer than twelve feet of a drive, or six feet from a walk, if space will permit. Based on Nature's Laws. 77 There should be sun drives and walks, and shade drives and walks. In laying out the drives and walks, allowance should be made for their being made wider, when the use of the park is more fully developed. Trees planted in groups, forming little groves, are very desirable. Bright color flowering or foliage shrubs planted in masses are more at tracting than mixed varieties. Unpleasant surroundings are better screened with mixed trees and shrubbery, than by hedges. Hedges, like fences, represent a restricted area which should not exist in an Americanized park. The gymnasium feature of the park should be located on high and dry ground, and where the purest and best air can be had, as when growing children are exercising, they inhale more air, and it should be of the 78 Thr Scit'tur of I'niit Cirowing best. T\\v triif)(>zo, swings nnd other features should ho sullioiouily variod to uso ov(Mv uiusoh' i!i Iho nsiiiij,- of ihom and to lit the tasto and oujoynuMit of as many as practical. 'riic hii'ds and animals on cxhihitiou should he of an cIcNatiiii; nature instead of demoi'ali'/ini;-, as they oftentimes are. There should he pUuity of driukiui»' ])lac(^s with the host of watei", and places o\' neces- sit\, not ojdy sanitary, but r(^sf)octfully k(»pr,. To have a cultivated plot where <*ach in- dividual class or school can have a V(\i;'etahl(^ and llowiM' ,i;ard(Mi, is ix^^od to teach and vu- courai;"e the human mind to have an intcu'est in the i^arth's surface, and what and how tinui;s i;row on it. I^ater it will inspire* tin* desin^ to ha\(» a houu» oi' their own, th(» [)0s- sossion o\' which is a stroui»' iVature in nature, to become i-eliabh% satislied and inter(*stc(l iu Based on Nature's Laws. 79 their good and the good of all others, vvliich is well named Aiiu'ricanism. Smaller parks ean be laid out on these lines so contracted as to fit the size of the plot. The fuel problem can, and will be solved, by tlie [)lanting and growing of trees to be used for heating and other purposes. The Norway maple for the Northern states, and the Sycamore for the Southern states, have the lead over other varieties in hardiness, rapidity of growth, with comparative value for fuel and lumber purposes. Others are (^lose seconds with specific values, such as catalpa and locus for posts and railroad ties, lindens, walnuts, ashes and pines for lumb(^r. All of which can be grown in con- nc^ction with other crops with great y)rofit. By sowing their seed on a well prepared ground. HO The Science of J'ruit Growing Mic sninc jis is used for wheat in the Fall, as soon as they can be secured ni'tov they arc^ ripe, in rows roiii* Feet apart, with f)lenty of room at the ends for a horse and cultivator to tnrn on. ^V\h) furrows for the* seed to be sown in should he one linlT inch deep, and four inches wide. Seatlci" the seed in it at the rate of nhonl lwcid> li\'c seed lo Ihe liiH^al foot, and cox'er e\'eidy with one hnll' inch of dir't. Cnre should he tnken to see that the Innd does not crust in the spiini;", ;is such S(Hm1 have but litth* liftinti,' power wIkmj starting' to grow in the Spring. In their wild stnte they are most always found starting uikUm- a light mould oi" lenves. '^Phe crust, if starting to form, can be broken by rnking lightly as often as it starts, oi- covered with one-hnH* inch of line sand, and watered freely. The soil should be culti- vated, hoed, and fr(»ed of weeds, the same as corn is cared for. WIhmi the seedlings have Based on Nature's Laws. 81 matured their growth, they should be dug in the Fall or the following Spring, and the cen- ter root cut off, leaving the root from eight to ten inches long, and all the side roots should be cut off to within one-eighth of an inch of the main root; this is for the purpose of pre- venting any roots being bent when set, as they often prove to be injurious in later years. In planting them for the forest, first plow and fit the land the same as for corn, mark it out both ways, ten feet apart. Plant the trees with a dibble, be sure that you fasten the bot- tom of the root tight, and fill up the holes made by the dibble so the ground will not dry to injure the root. Put no manure or water near the plant when setting. Plant the field with hoed crops, and treat the trees the same as the crops till the trees get large enough to render the cropping unprofitable. The only S2 The Science of I'ruit Groiving triniiniiii*- iKM'dcd or nllowablo on the trees is io s(H' that there is only one limb a i^row- in.ii: in the center. When the lower limbs com- menee to die from tlu^ (effects of their shade, cut out every other I'ow diagonally, or as fast as it seems best for the i^ood of the remainin,2; trees. In plantinj;" do not mix nut bearin.iJ^ tr(M»s with seed bearing trees, as they are pois- onous to them. Th(* most of forest trees and especially the black walnut, butternut and hickory are pois- oning to IVnit-bearing trees, and wIumi stand- ing too near them will kill them in time. The fruit-bearing trees show their effects by grow- ing leaning away from them and tlu^ leaves show a weakness, indicating that the poison comes from the leaves as well as their roots. All leaves have a luiture to repel each other. Th(^ stronger leaves absorb the vitality and take the place of the weaker ones. Based on Nature's Laws. 83 In heating your house with a furnace do not depend on it to force the hot air into the room that is already filled with air to heat it. Let the cold air, which is the heaviest, have a chance to pass out tlirough a register located in or near the floor, and connected with a pipe leading to the bottom of the furnace, forming a vacuum in tlie room to be readily replaced with hot air from the furnace forming a circu- lation. The cold air from the room becomes lighter as it is warmed by the furnace. It is much less work to ventilate the house by opening the doors or windows, than it is to produce twice the necessary fuel needed to heat by induction, than it requires to heat by the circulation of air. Air, like water, when kept in motion, is much purer than wdien at rest or nearly so. I i I I THE SCIENCE OF FRUIT GROWING BASED ON NATURE'S LAWS Part III OR WHAT MAY BE MORE PROPERLY CALLED THE THIRD YEARS WRITINGS To produce a fruit-bearing tree containing the highest state of matured vitality that it may produce the largest percentage of first- clas^ fruit, it should have at least as much space for its roots to feed in where the sun's rays would strike it as is the space shaded by its most extended limbs. Many bearing orchards, where the trees are standing too near together to produce nice fruit, would be more profitable if one-half of the trees were 86 The Science of Fruit Growing cut out at the ground. Preferably taking every other diagonal row. There would not be any beneficial results expected from taking the leaves from the lower one-third of a stalk of growing corn, tobacco or cotton plant, as soon as they are nicely formed. It is violating the same prin- ciple of growth in denying the fruit-bearing tree of the benefits that follow by having short twigs growing thickly on its body and along the larger limbs. At least one-half of nature's requirements to produce a properly developed fruit-bearing tree is taken from it by the present system practiced in trimming orchards. In growing from the seed pines, spruces and such other trees as are found in their native condition growing in shady places, it is better to have the seed-bed shaded with cheese Based on Nature's Laws. 87 cloth placed from one to two feet above the ground for the first season, as the strong rays of the sun often burn them on their first ap- pearance above the ground. In transplanting pines and spruces it is best to choose the time when their buds are breaking to grow, it being found that thej^ will overcome the injuries incidental to the transplanting more quickly, and with less loss, than when done at other conditions of the yearns growth. If the tree is of large size in proportion to its roots (obtained by dig- ging), it is an advantage to the tree to protect it from the sun and the evaporation of the winds by wrapping it with coarse burlap for a few weeks, while it is getting rooted. If the season is bordering on a condition of drouth, the ground, for a circle of eight feet, should be heavily mulched and the dirt 88 The Science of fruit Growing should be frequently wet to tlie depth of two feet, varying according to conditions, from once to twice a week, oftener if the conditions require it, to keep the ground moist, but not wet enough to prevent the air from penetrat- ing the soil. Cold water from wells or hydrants, should not be used until its temper- ature is raised to that of the ground, by ex- posure to the air or other means. If recently planted trees or bushes are slow in starting their growth at growing time in the spring, they can often be started by pour- ing a quart or two of as warm water as you can hold your hand in, over the limbs and body of them, allowing it to run down the body to the roots, at evening or on a cloudy day. A few applications will start the buds, after which, the tree will continue growing. It is better to have recently planted trees Based on Nature's Laws. 89 start their growth promptly in the spring growing season. If the starting of their growth is delayed till in late spring or sum- mer, they are liable to continue their growth too late in the fall and by it suffer from winter freezes. When deciduous trees are being trans- planted their leaves, if any are on the trees, should be stripped off at the time of digging. If allowed to remain they draw the moisture from the tree, putting it in a bad condition to stand future evaporation from the elements of the weather. A few minutes' delay in stripping the leaves in a warm, drying day, makes a difference of stripping to picking off the leaves. So deteriorating is the effect of leaving the leaves on scions cut for bud- ding purposes, it is best to cut the leaves off from each scion as soon as it is cut from the tree. 90 The Science of J'ruit Growmy Ab Roinc of Mic less lini'dy orriariK^nljil irccH jukI slinihs cjiii he ^rovvn in ilic Norilicrn slnlcs hy ;jjivin;jj proic^ctioii fioni llic cold, \.\\{\ more liJirdy irecw cun he K'*<>wn in f)iirts oi* tlio S()ntli(!rn Hiut(;H, by protcictin^ tlicni from the hot rayH of the HiiniriK^r sun. Hie hcst spec'iincns of tlic nioi-c Icnjicious liber in trees sueh ns hickory, whiter oak, orjuiK<' JJ'id others, ai'e fonnd to b(i growing in tlicii' natives [)hi(M^s on h*ind that has a (h'cf), I)orous, chiy subsoil; trees of less tenacious li))er are Found on lands ran;;in<'' from muck to sandy soil, or all eornbinalions of them. While li^ht(.'r soils can ^row th(; trees and sonu'tliin^ of fruit, the b<^st siz(»s and quality are obtained on land that is best ada[)ted for their growth. (^are should be taken in preserving tlu^ new growth of ti-ees in the cut-over forest witli a Based on Nature's Laws. 91 view of continuing ttieir growtii to a f)ropcT size for timlxjr. The waste of the cut-over timber, when too much to be saved for fuel, can be cut in small pieces and spread evenly over the ground to help hold the falling leaves and to form vegetable mohl by decay- ing and at the same time to act as a mulch which is a great benefit to growing timber. It renders the conditions less liable for forest fires, which are admitted to be very disastrous to them. Trees growing in thick clumps can be transplanted, when of small size, to op(;n spaces at an average of ten feet apart and others thinned by cutting out to approx- imately tlie same distanc(», this would give each tree a chance to grow from the first, instead of leaving them to grow in a battle of life under the law of the sui'vival of the strongest, until nature lias killed the sur- rounding trees and at the same time, the sur- *^J J hi' Science of Iritil (Jr owing vivor is \v<'nlv iiiid smnllcr in coinpnriHon vvilli (,li(* jicc ^Towiiii*" in llic ojx'n IVoiii llic Jii'sl. Tlic loicsl, does not ^ivo \'('i-v ^oo{\ iinibor IVoni li-(M's slniidiii^ n(»nr(»r ilinn ten reel nrid in rnosl (•ns<»H Mi<» disinncc is Ihifl y IVct nparl. Wlicic l)ii; lirnlx'i' is desired, the iices cnn )k» lliinncil in \\\{vv ycjii's when inncli of it tnUcn out will he vnlnnldc ioi" injuiy |Mir|M)s<'S. Such vai'irtics ol" ti'ccs slunild he i^i'own in w ToiN'st ns wonid hr Hk' most \}dnjd)l(» timber when grown, ns Inr ns Ilic soil nnd clinuitic condi- tions would fnvor. l^its ninl mits of trocs cnn b(^ sncci^ssriilly kept I'oi' sevoinl yeni's, if desired, bel'oie plnntini;", b>' biiiyini; lliem three or four I'eet deep in n modei'njcly dry soil, ns tliey will not ^"erminnte in soil of Hint t(Mn perjdnre. I^lie bncteria do(\s not linvi* the powei* at that depth of soil to d(M*ompose tln^ Based on Nature's Lazvs. 93 iiiinl, ^luc inatci'ial i'orrninj^ the connecting' bIicIIh of nuts, I'or hcvci'uI years. It, is for this reason wo lind (clover, nnd otlici* [)lants, liave ^rown from soil tnkcn ten to twenty feet ])(»low the snrface of the ground. We liave no IcnowhMl^c of the a^"e of tli(^ seed fi-oni wliich the f)hint.s ^rew, they are mostly of those kinds of seed that ;u-e eov(»red with a natural ^um or rosin. M;ich kind of seed has its sf)ecinc decree of heat nnd moisture neces- sary for its gc^rmi nation after which it battles for life through varied conditions of (exist- ence*, lu thinnin