OCR Text |
Show LlJL. 1j,L5 t SOIL TREATMENT j BEFORE PLANTING A common problem at planting timn Is the treatment the land should have before the trees are planted. This, of course, will depend upon its previous treatment, says J. H. Gourley, chief in horticulture at the Ohio Experimeri station. If it has been In sod for a period of time, it is usually wise to plow the land and plant a tilled crop (such as potatoes, or corn) one year i before it is set out to trees, or better i yet, to grow and turn under a green crop, as clover or alfalfa, if such a crop can be established in a short time. If this is not feasible it would certainly be well to plow the land the fall previous to planting and let it lie In the rough over winter, unless the topography is such that the soil would wash badly from this procedure. All this is to give the trees the best possible pos-sible start, or as one old horticulturist said, to "make the hole for the tree as big as the orchard." When the soil Is prepared it is then ready to be staked out for setting the trees In some systematic fashion. A common error Is to plant the trees too close together, a mistake which presents an almost insolvable problem a few years later. Standard fruits should be set about the following distances, depending depend-ing somewhat upon the soil and variety va-riety : Appls 8540 ft Pear 20 8 0 ft. Quince 1214 ft. Peach 2020 ft. Plum 1920 ft. Cherry 1825 ft. The trees may be planted in any of the following systems of arrangement: the squat ?, rectangle, quincunx or hexagonal hex-agonal system. In the square system the tree's are spaced in rows, equidistant equi-distant in both directions. A "filler" tree may be set between the permanent perma-nent trees and one in the middle of the square, until they begin to crowd, which would place the trees 20 by 20 feet nnnrt or- 10S trees per acre, in stead of 27 as would be the case if the trees stood 40 feet apart. In the quincunx plan the trees are set as for the square system, with a tree in the middle of the square. The hexagonal plan calls for the setting of the trees equidistant from one another an-other In- all directions, or one in each angle of equilateral triangles. Fifteen per cent more trees can be set to an acre with this system than with the "square" plan when the trees are set at the same distance apart. In an orchard or-chard so set, it Is, however, not so easy to cultivate and care for the trees as In the more open squares. The variety question Is one that Is so intimately associated with the personal per-sonal tastes and preferences of the individual in-dividual that it Is difficult to offer advice. ad-vice. Many fine varieties of all the fruits are available but space does ltot permit listing them. It Is safe to say, however, that novelties should not be planted without advising with a competent com-petent horticultural authority. |