Trees may be set singly, as standards, in the way commonly practiced
with other fruit trees, or they may be set “double”—that is, two trees
planted together in one hole and allowed to remain. The latter method
has not heretofore been advocated in this country but is worthy of
thorough trial. The method consists in planting two long cuttings, about
12 inches apart, in the same hole, allowing them to protrude from the
ground a few inches. Both are allowed to grow and the two are treated as
a single tree with two stems or standards. The object sought is to
produce two distinct stems or trunks, in order that the splitting down
of branches may be prevented. In this way trees with low, sloping
branches, having their main trunks leaning outward, will be formed and
it will be impossible for the trunks, the main branches, or the smaller
ones to split down. Branches split only when they point upward or stand
straight out—never when they slope downward from the trunk.