The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-05-03
Setting Out Frui. Trees.

The Grant county, Wis, Herald, whose
editor, Mr.. Cover, is an experienced nur-
seryman, has the following suggestions in
regard to planting and pruning fruit trees :
We offer these several instructions to per-
sons wishing to plant orchards:
Do not send. bst go yourself to the nur-
sery. sci ct your trees from the rows, have
them we'll taken up, with plenty Of roots,
and without the least barking or breaking
of limbs. Cover the roots with earth as you
move the trees to prevent them drying
Do not allow the roots to dry as the mil
lion Minute valves on the surface are there
by closed, hardly if ever to reopen. BY al
lowing the fbrous or tissue roots to dry
they never again become useful but die /;
new valves form in time on the large roots,
if the weather be favorable. When leaving
home for the nursery, fill your wagon box
with wet stray, to be used for covering the
roots.
It is best to set out Immediately, but if
the ground be in bad condition, too wet, in
such case heal IN or bury the roots-the
body upright, in which position your trees
are safe until the ground is in right order
for setting out. Dig the pits wide and deep
ana pulVeTILo tHc SIouuu ~ UoOlo" ouu
sides. Be careful so to set the trees that
when the ground settles, they will not stand
deeper in the ground then they stood in
the nursery. The greatest care in this Or r.,
der. In setting, see that mellow, top soil
is packed about the roots, so that no open
spaces are lett among the roots. Small air
pockets are death to the roots In setting
srread out the roots; try to lay them as
L. yCa
the transplanting, unless it be to make
some muck to dip the roots in. Water
poured in the pit packs the ground so
hard that new tissue roots can scarcely
come for a year. When the planting is
done, take some wet straw and lay about
the tree this holds the moisture.
At the transplanting do not cut away
any limbs. The effect of cutting away the
limbs at any time the first year after set
ting, if not certain destruction is hurtful.
We claim this as true beyond question for
this section of country in the Northwest.
1t is said to be not so hurtful East and
South to cut away limbs at transplanting.
Some recommend that trees be set as in
the nursery, same side to the north. This
may be done by marking the trees with a
pencil before removing from the nursery
We should not pay any attention to such
notion, believing it to be a whim. But
whims count first in preference with some
people.
Observation is sufficiently instructive as
to orchard sites. A southern exposure is
unfavorabe, as also to some extent south
eastern and southwestern. No site should
be high and exposed, and land dry. Tim
Der protection is rather an objection. We
have seen fine orchards, however, on low
lands, south side exposures even shaded
with timber.
We notice short item in the papers re-
commencing that the tops of trees be prun-
ed, or as the writer says, so diminish the
TOP with knife so as to have 1t CORES
pond with the diminished amount of root
which is cut away at the time of removal
and transplanting.
It may be that such practice of thinning
out the tops at the time of transplanting is
very good treatment in the Eastern and
Middle States, but it certainly is fatal treat
ment in our northwestern section-as the
writer hereof has found from his own ex-
perience and the experience of all our best
and most successful orchard men with
whom he has talked. Reader, you will
find it at all times disorderly to prume trees
large or small, except at the height OF
growing-the apple in June and July.
The growing period is the proper time for
pruning all trees, forest as we'll as fruit.
Some trees, especially Of the forest, do
their growing in May or early June when
they should be pruned The cherry and
plum make and complete their growth of
top and body somewhat earlier than the ap-
pie, and must therefore be pruned earlier.
Also, some kinds of apples make their
growth quite late and such should be prun-
ed in August. Most trees Of the apple kind
however. make second summer growth,
but We think the pruning should be done
during the first You can always tell when
the tree is at its growing stage by observ-
ing whether new and tender leaves are
forming
1t is best, we think, to do up pruning
during the latter stage Of fruit growing,
with the apple say early in July. At this
time no tree can be injurd by cutting away
limbs About the Goth of July you may
remove the bark entire from body and
no harm be done to trees
Barren trees are generally made to bear
by so barking them. Trees served in this
manner may be seen at our orchard in Lam
caster, where the results of the practice we
recommend may be seen and criticised.