The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-09-30
AGRICULTURAL.
From w Acc EngLand Farmsr


| Mr.. EDIToR Within few years | have
lIegoted some time aud attention to the cult
Walton of an orchard. If am correct in my
view Of the subject, good orchard is the most
valuable part of farm, and the farmer w hc
neglects to cultivate one, may with propriety
be said 70 neglect an important bra nch Of
good husbandry.
Five years ago, ! selected piece Of land to
be devoted exclusively TO an orchard. Ii has
naturally good soil, and descends little to
the east. Ii was somewhat rocky; many OF
the rocks being SO large and heavy as to rem
der il necessay to blow them in order TO move
them. | cleared the rocks all off so that not
one was TO be seen on the piece above the
surfaces Of the ground. enclosed this piece
OF ground with substantial stone wall, and
then ploughed and planted il with potatoes.
After digging the potatoes, again poughed
and narrowed il, then marked out the rows
for the trees, being very careful to have them
exactly straight each way. then dug the
holes for the trees, making them four feet in
diameter, and l2 Or is inches 10 depth, talk
ing care to lay the top and bottom Of what
took cut, each by itself About the first of
November | set ont nv trees. being careful
in taking them up ID iniure The roots as little
as possible. Into each hole, after placing the
roots Of the trees, put three pecks of COM
post manure, next the earth taken from the
top Of the holes, leaving that which was taken
from the bottom to be placed on the top. On
this piece of ground | set one hundred and
thirty trees, having them exactly twenty feet
distant from each other. The spring after
setting the trees, planted the ground with
corn, and the next spring sowed it with wheat,
seeded II down to grass, and grated the trees
The gratis grew rapidly the two first years
after they were put in. then put half a
bushel ofmanure around each tree, and they
still continue to flourish, the largest of them
being six inches III circumference. have
lately ploughed the ground, and intend next
spring to plant it with potatoes in order to
hasten their growth.
The probability now is, that in the course
Of five years more, my orchard will be quite
productive, should it continue to flourish.
The farmer who has not yet young orchard
coming on, would do well Immediately to
choose piece of ground, and after thorough
Iy preparing, set it out with apple trees.
No one ought to be afraid of devoting too
much time or attention to an orchard, for if
rightly managed, il will, after few years,
amply repay all the trouble and expense
An orchard set in ground that has once been
ploughed, will not flourish unless it be plough
ed every two or three years. Perhaps it is
the better way to keep it in tilIage the whole
time, as the trees will certainly grow much
faster, and produce more and better fruit
Beauty and order are desirable in an orch
ard, as well as in other things. How much
more pleasing it is to see it stand in regular
order, the trees being set in rows perfectly
straight each way, than 10 see them stand
here and there 10 promiscuous manner like
the trees ola forest.
Much care should be taken during the first
years Of an orchard to give the trees a regular
and proper shape. This must be done prin-
cipally by pruning. Branches should not be
permitted to come out from the body of the
tree at less distance than five or six feet
from the ground. Cattle, sheep or hogs,
should never be turned into young orchard
as they will greatly injure the trees by rub
bling against and browsing them.
AFARMER.
Worcester, August, 1928.