Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-04-13
The HERALD.
How to Plant Fruit Trees-By an Ex-
perieneed Operator

some years You expressed . wish
that | would give my views on the
subject in n letter to The Herald. In
compliance with your request Call
though not in the habit of writing
letters to the Herald or any other
paper), | will try in as brief q man
ner as possible TO give them.
First, comparing the method upon
which | practice with the old one
most commonly used by farmers and
fruit~grOwers The common way.
as you are aware, is to dig hole
from one and half to three feet in
diameter and from one to two feet
deep fill with sod and rich surface
earth to within eight or ten inches Of
the top, then set the tree, and by the
time the earth in the hole is we'll
settled, the tree is twelve inches in
the ground. Now supposing the
tree 20 be three year old, it stand
nearl y SIX inches too deep. Some of
the natural results that must follow
are these: All the soil in the hole
being very rich, the warm sum
M rains coming on will natural
settle ~ fl the hole. keering il
Nety moist AL simmer and causing
= RAJ III grow ~ the tree, and FREE
quen'I\ ker,,iug il up 81 late in he
season 'at It e MT ripen it, NO d
TrtitCUy. Then a. Is nearly aiwaVs
the case il this country, we have very
severe rains late ia the tall which
again fila the hole. the bottom II
witch is O. hard b Oxen clay that
VIII prevent the water from soon
soaking away. These raiuS are gen
orally followed 10y severe cold vi a =
CT, catching the new wood unripe
the sap Still circulating and the lree
still clothed ID their summer foliage
Tho soft mud in the hole will sud,
denly be converted into ice. the
roots will be move up considerably
by the expansion caused by freezing,
the collar II the tree exUauds until
i, bursts it, bark, amt the tree II NOT
killed outright remains frozen until
the warm sun at different times du-
ring winter thaws it our only to be
frozon again and again until the
warm spring weather comes on, when
the bark becomes separated from
the wood ehrinks. turns black and
soon the holes b west side Of the
the tree from top TO bottom is found
to be dead. But this is not all the
trouble the roots after Illustrating
in deep rich soil and having grown
rapidly for two or three years comes
suddenly upon the hard unbroilen
walls Of the hole they find thcir.sup.
plies greatly diminished some little
restraint put upon their farther rap
id progress. This is a very discour-
aging turn Of affair for almost any
youngster having been encouraged
III habits of luxury and never taught
the motto OF root hog or die" and
finding it hard to root they general
II decide to die But if they don't
quite do that, and have vitality
enough TO continue poor, miserable.
blighted and scaly existence for two
or three years longer, the bark lice
hardly ever fail to consider it public
plunder and graciously condcscend
70 finish up tn job.
Now Mr.. Cover, as A. Johnson
says, my policy is radically different.
First, the ground should be plowcd
as deep as possible early in the spring,
the surface made smooth with a mar
row, then let it remain and settle un
til it is nearly time to setstrees, then
stake off your ground in any direc-
ton that the land will have the least
descent, in rows of any width YOU
may choose, having duo regard for
the upright or spreading habits OF
the varieties to be set in each row.
With q strong team and pillow throw
up the earth as deep as possible,
by back furrOwing until yuu pet halt
way to the next row Of stakes. then
remove TO the next row and back
turrow to the stakes and soon Through
the whole this will leave un op Il fur
row between the rows stake aif hi,
ground cro>awaVr aud yun ar reads
70 set trees The root. should b,
we'll puIdted with mixture Of sar,
lace and suusoil clay Scoop Gus
with suov0i "a hell OF .aliiaen
depth To ..amit tn az 70 with Tia,
SIDE root, just httle below the sur.
face OF the earth, till III with the hand
tue hne earlh we'll among Toe roots
making "a basin OF earth around the
tree, fiji the basin with water when
tne water has soaked away, throw
eaItu around the lroe 10 lhe dvpia OF
iDgr uCnoS, mHieh VITA stable Gtter
AMI the trees are all right
You may ask, waAt are the adj
vantage, 10 ue derived from this prae
tl"e la answer 10 She question.
viii say, first, il the work ot plowlne
"A! back Throwing is well done. a
lair proportion OF subsoiI VIII DC
mixed with the black or surface So
which i, Of vital Importance to tn1
heal1htulness and regular & owth a.
we'll as truitlrluess OF Inc tree
Second, tho soil is in greater deg ee
acteG upon by the sun and atmos,
phere which imparts SO much of the
fruit giving qualities to the earth,
admitting sufficient rain to promote
steady growth, causing the tree to
mature and ripen its wood early and
well, and it Will become denuded OF
its foliage from TWO to four weeks
earlier in the tall, and be prepared to
receive and stand the severity Of our
cold winters. Third, the cultivation
OF the ground being stopped after
last day OF June, the surface Of the
earth becomes packed down, and
when the late tall rains come on the
water runs off into the open burrows.
leaving the roots OF the trees in LIGHT
dry soil, ready 10 receive the cold
snap that may be expected very soon
TO follow. Fourth aud last. the roots
instead OF being cramped and confined
within the narrow limits OF hard
clay hole, have free and uurestrained
license to roam over the whole
ground and hunt the soil and food
most congeuial TO its habits anu ne,