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Show r SITE FOR ORCHARD I. ' ! Trees Should Be Planted With ! Reference to Land Contour. j - MINIMUM EROSION OF SOIL Plan Rows in Such Way That Tillage, Spraying and Harvesting Operations Opera-tions May Be Conducted With Greatest Ease. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Where the site selected for an orchard or-chard consists of steep slopes, the " trees should bo planted with reference to the contour of the land. The rows 6houId be made In such a way that erosion of the soil will be reduced to a minimum, and that tillage, -spraying, and harvesting operations may be conducted con-ducted with the greatest possible ease. The distance for planting is governed gov-erned by the kinds of fruit to be grown, the habit of growth of the variety, and the fertility of the soil. Peaches may be planted from 18 to 22 feet apart, pears about 24 feet apart, and apples from 30 to 40 feet apart. Mixed plantings such as apples and peaches, are sometimes profitable, but the management problems are less complicated when each fruit Is planted by itself. Each variety should be planted In a separate block to facilitate the medium-sized or large ones, thej may prove costly in the end, especially if they lack the vitality necessary tc make a good growth after being planted. Apple, plum, pear, and cherry trees are commonly planted as two-year-olds; that Is, after they have mad two seasons' growth in the nursery though many growers prefer one-year old trees, especially apple and cherry Peaches are invariably planted as one year-olds. Nursery trees should alway bi packed In such a way that the roott will not dry out, and upon ddiverj at the place where they are to b planted they should be unpacked Ira mediately. Unless the trees can b planted at once, they should be heeled In. A place thatjs well drained, witt a Uecp-?-5Iow soil, should be selected for heeling in the trees. A trench it dug of sufficient width and depth tc receive the roots, and the trees art carefully placed In this trench. Tree that are tied In bundles should be sep arated before heeling in, and the eartJt should be worked around the roots oi each tree to prevent drying to an serious extent. Preparation for Planting. Thorough preparation of the soil It just as important for planting an op chard as for planting corn or wheat. Deep plowing and thorough harrowing harrow-ing are very essential. It Is a very good plan to grow some cultivated crop on the land the year preceding the setting of the orchard. This crop will not only put the land in bette) mechanical condition, but if a legum inous crop, It will Increase the plant- Vr' :-ymm lilt - .Naur-,-. Mr. -mJPM'.'t'i rif v-. I - ItjH" lmVKt " ' m I THREE DIFFERENT GRADES OF PEACH TREES. harvesting, but a block which contains 1 a self-sterile variety should be located l near a' block which contains a variety , that is a good pollenizer. Selection of Varieties. A great measure of the success with an orchard depends upon the proper ; selection of the varieties of fruit to be grown. This selection of varieties requires considerable care, and it is J ilwrays well to find out what varieties . do best In the particular locality, and " klso to consult the best authorities in the state. The number of varieties to be : grown will depend upon the purpose, j whether they are for home use or for ( market, and upon the kind of fruit. Where the purpose is to have a sue- food in the soil. Preliminary to digging dig-ging the holes for the trees, many growers plow one or two furrows as deep as practicable along the line where the tree row is to go. This plowing saves considerable digging when planting the trees. . Setting the Trees. Success in planting trees is made possible by avoiding unnecessary exposure ex-posure of the roots and by thorough firming of the soil1 about the trees. Puddling the roots is a common practice prac-tice where the roots are apt to be exposed ex-posed during planting operations. In preparing the tree for planting, all bruised or broken roots should be cut off, and all excessively long roots should be pruned back to correspond with the rest of the root system. The holes for the trees should be large enough to admit the roots without bending and crowding, and deep enough so that when filled the trees will be two or three Inches deeper than they were in the nursery. The trees should be set with a slant toward the direction of the prevailing winds. After the trees are set they should be pruned back. One-year-old trees are usually cut back to a single stem 18 to 30 Inches high, but if the trees are very large three or four short stubs are left at the top of the main stem so as to insure the growth of branches at the point where it is desired to form the head of the tree. Two-year-old trees should have short stubs left which are carefully selected to form the scaffold limbs of the trees. j? :,VlLL !" ,V-vK,; AvfcC-& f Proper Way to Plant Tree. ; cession of ripe fruit over a long period, , a greater number of varieties may be ; used than where the ripe fruit is de- ' Klre(l over a short period of time. The ' ; number of varieties of one kind of r i Eruit is often influenced by the quanti ty of other kinds of fruit which ripens at the same time. In many sections the ; cumber of varieties grown for market is limited by the heavy shipping period of other regions. ; Kind of Trees to Plant. Only trees that are thrifty and well- grown and which have good roots aud ; tops should be planted. Thrifty, well- grown trees need not be the largest 1 trees to be found lu the nursery, but i ofteu medium-sized trees will be as j desirable as the larger ones. The smaller grades In many cases consist of trees which are weak and stunted, ' 1 and often the root systems may be "J 1 rery Por- Though the small trees " , ; may he bought at a lower price than |
