Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1911 — FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD
By M. W.RICHARDS
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Fall to, perhaps, the beat time for th* general farmer to net Ma orchard. At thia season of the year farm work la generally slacker than in the spring and the work can thus be given more earn and attention. The trees should be ordered early. If you wait until late tn the season you apt to get cull stock. Order from some good, reliable firm that la located somewhere near home. If the stock is 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 experimenting. For a home orchard, two
or three trees at about five varieties <rf each sort of fruit will bo found to bo a great plenty. This will make an orchard of from an acre to an acre and one half tn stoe and will produce more than enough for a family of average sire. Before the trees arrive the ground should bo wen 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 to done by making a thin mixture of clay and water and then plunging the root systems of the trees Into it. Puddling la done to provent 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 40 feet on a side. On a small area the trees can be set with a garden line. On a small area the trees can
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-
rents the exact button of the trson which win stand forty feet each way. U order to Mt the tree in the exact place occupied by the stoke, a simple device has been designed known as the planting board (Fig. 1). This Is a piece of board about six feet long with a notch in the middle and a hole tn each end. The board Is laid on the ground with the stoke fitting in the central notch. Two other stokes 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 to dug the planting board ip replaced over the end stakes and the central notch now recto oyer the hole tn the same place as the original marker stoke. The tree to then held In the central notch (Fig. 3) and the soil placed about its roots. Caro 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
tree to planted the board to 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 tine 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 work 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 for the trees if a satisfactory harvest to expected.
Fig. I—Planting board. By means of this board the exact location of the trees can be determined after the holes are dug.
Fig 2—Apple tree being set with planting board. The tree Is put In exactly the right place, being located by the notch on the board. Be aura to work the soil carefully about roots.
Fig. 3—Two-year-old apple tree. In the spring this fair Mt tree should be pruned at the black lines. This Severe cutting back restores balance of top and roots.