Show 0 0 SELECT AND PLANT PEACHES only thrifty well WelI Grown trees free from pests and diseases should be used prepared by tle the united states department of agriculture it Is poor economy to buy cheap peach trees first grade I 1 trees cost but a few cents more than the other grades and the thrifty rapid growth which they make offsets many times this additional expense but even f i the best trees must be properly y planted in order to be success ful this article tells how to select and plant the trees As a rule only thrifty well grown well rooted one year old or june budded trees tree free from sect pests and fungous diseases should be planted thrifty well grown trees tire not necessarily the largest trees which can be found la ia a nursery medium sized trees are probably guily fully as desirable for planting as the larger ones but the smaller grades in some cases may be made up of trees that are stunted and weak from some cause or other not infrequently they have p poor root systems the smaller trees can usually ally be bought at a lower price than the medium sized and large ones but they may prove costly in the end especially tf if they are lacking in vitality I 1 and malic make a poor growth after being planted peach trees are commonly graded according to their height in properly grown trees however there Is a pretty definite relation between the height and the size ot of the trunk or callier call pee per of the tree the diameter of the stem Is sometimes used as the basis for grading nursery stock A few cents per tree of additional cost means comparatively ively little in the initial expense ot of starting an orchard but it may mean a vast sum later in the life of the orchard in the better development of good vigorous trees when received from the nursery the trees should be unpacked immediately every possible precaution should be taken to prevent the roots from becoming dry unless the trees can be planted immediately they should be heeled in in a thoroughly well drained place where the soil is mellow and deep A trench sufficiently wide and deep to receive the roots is made then the trees fire are placed in it in covering the soil should be worked among the roots af pf of the trees I 1 IZZ S A peach trees trimmed ready to plant ly to fill the spaces between them this will fully exclude the air otherwise there is danger of the roots boota drying unduly common planting distances for peach trees are 18 by IS 18 feet IS 18 by 20 feet or 1 20 0 by 20 feet requiring respectively ively and trees per acre closer planting is sometimes practiced but it Is rarely advisable and under some conditions 25 by 25 feet probably does docs not allow the trees more space than they need the trees are usually planted in squares as the above distances suggest but blit file triangular system or some of its modifications is occasionally used every reasonable care should be observed to plant the trees in ift straight rows and in perfect alignment in both direct direction ioni trees so placed look better and can be cultivated better and more conveniently than where the rows are crooked and irregular in preparing a tree for planting all portions of the roots which li have ve been mutilated in digging the trees or injured by any other means should be trimmed off and long blender roots it if they occur arb are usually cut off to correspond with the length of the general root system unless it n tree is rather large the branches should all be removed leaving only a single on branched stem this stem should be headed back to correspond with the height at which it ls Is desired to form the head of the art the common extremes as to height of top preferred by different growers rowers ranga from about 12 to IS 18 1 idles up to 1 14 4 or SO 30 inches |