Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 291, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1916 — Starting a Commercial Orchard [ARTICLE]

Starting a Commercial Orchard

If possible plow the ground In the fall. A clover sod is preferable, with either natural or artificial drainage Never plant an orchard on wet land. Mark the land with a light plow IV feet apart, then cross with a heavy 2 horse plow 40 feet apart, going over the same furrow a number of times, plowing and mellowing the soil to a depth of about 16 inches. If able to have a man to help, have him go ahead and shovel, or hoe out a nice large hole 16 or 18 inches in diametei and the same in uepth. You come along and trim off all broken roots and trim the top to 3 to 5 branches so none will form a crotch to split. Ret the tree in, working the loose sol! among the roots until the hole is fill ed two thirds full, then tramp the dirt downuntil the tree sets as solid as. a post Draw or cover the rest cd the loose dirt around the tree and leave loose. Cut the limbs back to about four or five Inches. By so doing, in setting good hardy trees not one in 100 will die. In localities where peach es or plums do well set trees in between the apple rows, marking the same as before with the plow and setting the trees in the same manner as the apples. Then plant potatoes fertilizing the potatoes well with a complete fertilizer which will also fertilize the trees. Dig the potatoes as soon as large enough for market, then plow and plant to early potatoes again, using fertilizer the same aa before Dig the potatoes as soon as markets ble, then sow Canada field peas and crimson clover. Plow under the next spring and harrow the ground three or four times a week until the last ol July, then seed to peas and crimson clover again. Follow this cultivation for ten years and your efforts will be crowned with success. The writer did not take so much pains with his or .hard, but has met with fair success as last fall I realized over 1600 off of 8 acres of apples alone. Have 14 acres of orchard, but about 6 acres are just coming into bearing. Will set 8 acres the coming spring on above plan, us Ing peaches as a tiller.