Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 256, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1911 — FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FALL PLANTING THE ORCHARD

you apt to get cull stock. Order from with. But only trc«s of standard experiment stations do the experimenting. For a home orchard, two

Fig. I—Planting bogrd. By mean* of thle board the axact location of the trace can be determined after the hoiea arc dug. ■■ ' or three treea of alxMit flee varieties of each sort of fruit will be found to be a great plenty. Thia will make aa orchard of from an acta to an axaa and one half la else and will pro doce more than enough for a family of average else. Before the treee arrive the ground should be well fitted. Plow the orchard area well and then harrow It apd leave the toll in aa good condition aa ts you were going to sow wheat Jut as soon aa the treea arrive they should be taken from the boxes and have their roots puddled. This Is dona by making a thin mixture of eiay and water and then plunging the root systems of the trees Into It Pudfifing Is done to prevent too rapid drying out of the roots. For the firm orchard the square system of planting will be found to ho very satisfactory. The trees are aet at the corners of squares 35 er 4fi foot on a side. On a small area the trees can be set with a garden fine. On a small area the trees can

Fig 2—Apple tree being set with planting board. The tree is put in exaetly the right plaee, being located by the notch on the board. Ba sure to work the soil carefully about roots. ;j.' 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-

which will stand forty feet each way. hoarder to the^ mtact device has* designed known *as the planting board (Fig, 1). This is a place of board about six feet long with a notch In the middle and a hole In each end. The board Is 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 bo 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 market stake. The tree to then held In the central notch (Pig. S) and the son placed about Its roots. Care should be taken to out off all mangled and broken roots and to alap shorten In all extra long oqM. The soil should bo thoroughly worked around the roots and no air spaces left In contact with them. When the

Flo. 3—Two-year-old apple tree. In the spring this fall set tree should be pruned at the black lines. 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 line 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 fan 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.