Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 246, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1911 — FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD

Fall in. perhaps, the best time tor the general farmer to set his orchard. At this season of the year farm work to generally slacker than In the spring and the work can thus be given more and attention. The trees should bo ordered early. If you wait until late in the season you apt to get cull stock. Order from some good, reliable firm that is locab ed somewhere near home. If the stock to then unsatisfactory the nurseryman to close enough to be dealt with. But only trees of standard varieties. Let the other man or the ' experiment stations do the exfJerimeriting. For a home orchard, two - 1 ' ■■■ - j

Fig. I—Planting board. By means of this board the exact location of the trees can bo determined after the holes are dug. or throe trees of about five varieties of each sort of fruit will be found to bo a great plenty. This will make an orchard of from an acre to an acre and one half In site and will produce more than enough for a family of average else. Before the trees arrive the ground should bo wall fitted. Plow the orchard area well and then harrow it and leave the soil in as good condition as If you were going to sow wheat Just as soon as the trees arrive they should be taken from the boxes and have their roots puddled. This Is done by making a thin mixture of day and water and then plunging the root systems of the trees into IL Puddling to done to prevent too rapid drying out of the roots. For the farm orchard the square system of planting will be found to be very satisfactory. The trees are set at the corners of squares 35 or 46 feat os a side. On a small area the trees can be set with a garden line. On a small area the trees can

Fit 2—Apple tree being sot with planting board. The tree Is put In exactly the right place, being located by the notch on the board. Be cure to work the soli carefully about roots. be set with a garden line. Stretch the line tight and then place a stake every forty feet Now move the line over'forty feet stretch again and set the stakes as before. Continue this operation until there are as many stakes located as there are trees to be planted. Each stake thus repre-

exact lAtoa es ibeWiM Which will stand forty feet each way. In order to set the tree in the exact place occupied by the stake, 1 simple device has been designed known as the planting board (Fig. 1). This to a piece of board about six feet long with a notch in the middle and a hole In each end. The board to laid on the ground with the stake fitting In the central notch. Two other stakes are now placed In the end notches and driven In place. The planting board can now be lifted from the marker stake, the stake removed and the hole dug. When the hole Is dug the planting board Is replaced over the end stakes and the central notch now rests over the hole in the same place as the original marker stake. The tree to then held In the central notch (Fig. 3) and the soil placed about Its roots. Care should be taken to cut off all mangled and broken roots and to also shorten in all extra long-ones. The soil should be thoroughly worked around the roots and no air spaces left in Contact with them. When the

Fig. 3—Two-year-old apple tree. In the spring thia fall set tree should be pruned at the black lines. i This severe cutting back restores balance of top and roots. tree is planted the board is removed and the tree now occupies the exact position of the marker stake. By using the planting board on each tree, the rows of trees can be kept as straight as was the original fine of marker stakes. No top pruning should be done to fall planted trees until the following spring when* the tops should be cut back severely. (Fig. 3) By careful a fall planted orchard can be brought through the winter in good shape and at least two weeks gained in growth over spring planted trees. Plant carefully and then care tor the trees If a satisfactory harvest to expected