OCR Text |
Show I IMPORTANCE OF ABUNDANT FRUIT SUPPLY Z - ' v "COVE" ORCHARD. LOCATED IN VIRGINIA. (By H. P. GOUID, Pomologist. United States Department of Agriculture.) Perhaps the best reoson why fruit should be grown on the farm is that a good supply of fruit contributes to the welfare of the home and to the health and enjoyment of the family. The farm orchard Is not usually a direct di-rect money-making enterprise, though it may sometimes be a source of small Income. A farm orchard or fruit garden, If planted to suitable varieties and well cared for, tends to give a continuous and regular supply of fruit. Even though the quantity actually used in the average farm home could be bought more cheaply than it could be raised, it would not take the place of the homegrown home-grown supply. The purchased supply would usually be obtained spasmodically; spasmodical-ly; in a great many instances it would not be obtained at all. The recognized rec-ognized usefulness of fruit in the diet emphasizes the Importance of insuring an abundant supply. Locating the Orchard. No fruit will thrive on poorly drained soil. Very sandy and heavy clay soils should be avoided if possible. possi-ble. , The sandy loams, loams and clay loams are preferred. Fruits require fairly productive soils. A measure of fertility commonly and fittingly used in this connection is a "soil that will grow a good crop of corn." The subsoil is fully as important as the surface soil. It should be deep and of such a texture that water will soak Into it readily. It is partly for this reason that heavy clay soils are undesirable. un-desirable. Then, too, the roots penetrate pene-trate a fairly friable subsoil much more readily than they do a very hard one. In most sections an orchard should be located on a relatively high spot. This is largely to avoid as much as possible the danger of injury from late spring frosts and also to insure better drainage. But there will be many Instances In-stances where there is no elevated place on the farm ; and, if there is, it may be too far away from the buildings build-ings to be convenient. Some things may need to be sacrificed for the sake of convenience. Preparation of the Soil. . Having selected the place where the orchard is to be planted, the preparation prepara-tion of the soil to receive the trees is next in order. If the land is in sod, It is better to break it a sufficient length of time in advance of the planting plant-ing to permit, the sod and grass roots to decay. Before the trees are planted, the soil should be harrowed or cultivated until un-til it is as well pulverized as it would be for planting corn or growing grain. This at least should be done over a strip several feet wide where the rows of trees are to stand. The advantages of having the soil finely pulverized when the trees are set in the ground will amply repay the cost of doing it. Trees for Planting. The quality of the trees that one plants has very much to do with the results which follow. It is not possible pos-sible to so describe a good tree that one unfamiliar with nursery grades can be sure of fully safeguarding himself him-self against accepting undesirable stock, should it be delivered to him. However, some of the important features fea-tures may be named. While small, weak, stunted trees should always be avoided, the other extreme ex-treme in size Is about equally undesirable undesir-able for ordinary purposes. As a rule, well-formed, well-rooted, medium-sized trees, which have the characteristics of the variety, are best. Such tree's can be transplanted more successfully; they usually start into growth more readily and develop more symmetrically than trees of either of the extremes. The roots should be abundant and well distributed from the base of the tree. If there are but few, and these are all on one side, the tree will not be well braced when it Is planted. Carefully Inspect Trees. There is less danger now than a few years ago of getting trees affected with disease and insect pests on account of improvements in the nursery inspection inspec-tion service of the various states and the higher standard generally adopted by the nurserymen. In the past many diseased trees have been sent out and there is still danger of unnecessarily planting diseases along with the fruit trees. All trees should be looked over carefully when unpacked. In case diseases dis-eases or insect pests are found, the trees should not be accepted and the nurseryman at once notified that the trees are held subject to his order. When in doubt, consult an. expert, preferably on the ground, but samples may be mailed to the nearest experiment experi-ment station or to the department of agriculture. Most fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums and cherries, are planted plant-ed when they are two years old ; that is, after they have made two seasons growth in the nursery. Peach trees, however, should be but one year old when transplanted from the nursery. There is a growing tendency among commercial orchardists to plant apple and some other fruits when only one year old. Deal With Nurseryman. Probably the trees for the majority of farm orchards are bought from fruit tree agents. Such agents often represent repre-sent long-established and thoroughly reliable re-liable nurseries, and do business year after year in the same territory. But many agents represent jobbers who do not grow the stock they handle, but purchase it wherever they can buy it to the best advantage. In many cases, they have no very permanent headquarters head-quarters and frequently do not expect to do business in the same sections for more than a season or two. It is usually more satisfactory In the end, if the purchaser, even of very small quantities of stock, makes up his mind as to what he wants and then places his order direct with some nurseryman nurs-eryman who has a well-established business and who is so located geographically geo-graphically that he can conveniently ship the order to the point where it is to be delivered. Other things being equal, the nearer the nursery is to the place where the stock is to be planted, the better. But sometimes, because of better prices or for other reasons, nearness of points of production and planting can well be disregarded. Trees of the same variety and on suitable stocks, which are equally well grown, may be expected expect-ed to be of equal value for planting In any place, whether they- are grown nearby or In a distant state, so far as hardiness, the adaptability of the trees to conditions, etc., are concerned. |