Massachusetts Agriculture. Bulletin Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ... the land, staking it off, digging the holes, trimming the tree and setting it out; and the difference in cost was largely due to the fact that the gang of men setting the trees became more familiar, each with his particular part of the programme, and consequently could do it more expeditiously. The field operations in setting were carried on as follows: a gang of eight men and a foreman were used; the foreman and one man went to the place where the trees were heeled in for a supply of trees, which were prepared for setting by pruning back the main roots considerably and packing them into two oil barrels, partly full of water, which were fastened on a stone boat drawn by one horse; while this was going on, the rest of the gang were setting stakes and digging holes. When the trees arrived on the scene the whole gang went to setting, the foreman distributing the trees and the eight men dividing into pairs, one of whom set the tree while the other shovelled in the earth. About 150 trees were carried at a load, and when these had been set out the gang divided as before. In this way the operations went like clockwork, and the trees arrived at the holes with their roots thoroughly soaked and in the best possible condition to take hold and grow. And that the method was satisfactory from the standpoint of the trees is pretty conclusively shown from the records of the number that grew: out of 530 dwarf apples set, we lost 14; of 250 Hubbardstons, 6 failed to grow; of 500 Wealthy, 3 died; and of 650 McIntosh, only 3 died. This is a remarkably good record in percentage of living trees, even for a good season, but in a season like that of 1908, when crops of all kinds suffered severely, I think it demonstrates conclusively that our methods of planting were sound, not o...