Nebraska advertiser., 1870-11-24
Preparing and Planting an Orchard


So general has been the bou ntiful
fruit crop this season, that many will
be induced to plant this fall in the
hope of having continuous supply
for their families for all time to come.
The question, how shall we prepare
the ground and plant? will be O very
general one. We feel that the advice
constantly given to subsoil and un-
der-drain, and manure to the extent
of hundreds of dollars per acre is too
costly to follow, and of little use after
IL is taken.
If we were going to prepare a piece
of ground for an orchard, we should
manure it heavily and put i'm a crop
of Potatoes; then in October manure
again lightly and put in Rye. On
this, In April, we should SOW Red
Glover. The Rye off, we should then
consider it ready to plant trees. For
Apples, Pears, Plums or Cherries. we
would mark out the rows ten feet.
apart, and for the trees ten feet from
each other. This will be twice as
thick as they will be required when
FULLY grown, but they grow much
better when thick together; and thew
Will bear more than enough fruit to
pay for the room they occupy, before
the time comes TO cut every other
one away. We say the rows ten feet
apart, but every fourth row should be
twelve feet to afford room to get be-
tween the blocks with a cart.
Plant as early i'm October as possi-
bic, but it can be continued until the
of frost. To plant, a hole
can be dug in the stubble lust large
enough to hold the roots without
them. We should tread in
the soil and trim i'm the head very
severely. The next spring we should
Just break the crust formed by the |
winter rains about the tree, and then
leave everything TO grow as it might. |
The clover will be ready to cut in |
June or July. The twelve feet rows
nay be done by machine, the rest by
hand. Hay enough will be made to
,ay for all the labor for one year and
! little more.
After the hay has been hauled off.
ring back some rich earth of any
lind, spread about quarter or half
m inch thick over the surface of the
round disturbed in making the hole.
his will keep the grass from grow
ng very strong just over the roots.
Keep on this way annually. every
wo or three years giving the whole
urface of the orchard a top dressing
Or the sake of the grass, and IL will
e found to be the most profitable
'ay OF making the orchard groand
ay Tor itself, until the fruit crops
Dne In, that one can adopt. The
ices also viii be models OF health
nd vigor, and when they commence q
bear will do SO regularly and album I
antly. This is an epitome of what =
he Gardeners Monthly has taught,
pposed as it has been by excellent
len of the old school culture. No
ne who follows it will ever abandon
Tor any other. 1t is costless COM +
aritively, from the first to the last t
I'd pays its way at every step. f
The dwarf fruit trees we would
ant on the same system, but six b
stead of ten feet apart. Few soils i
e too wet for fruit trees. Only I'm F
ct soils plant on the surface. and n
row up the earth over them from
'tween 60 as to make ditch or fur s
W to carry away the surface water. 7
the plan of annual surface Dress Il
gs which We have outlined, the I,
eding roots will thus always keen =.
owe the level of standing water. ii
ID when they can do this, it will b
't hurt the trees though the tap I"
ots are Immersed In water for half b,
year.-Gdrdener's Monthly. m
Thomas Meehan, the Editor of the s.
'rdcner's Monthly and author of the "
Owe, is one of the oldest and most =,
'cessful fruit growers and Nursery bl
the country, residing at German W
vn, Penn, and what he says ought IA
have great weight. We like his ~ ~
ms In preparing the ground, and TO
FULLY convinced that such care of
lid not fail to be highly beneficial. ca
'ecialiy in starting young trees. ~,
like, too, his plan of planting tn
Sc together. We out West have bo
idea that We ought to cultivate an
young trees for years, and vet 81,
nave known great success i'm ho
aring OF the prarie sod for five or en-
feet around where the tree is to be ye
ntea, spsding it up well In the fall. t sd
owing up the soil and exposing II Iv
Vlnter freezing, and planting i'm raj
spring, and no other attention ,,;r
en- save to keep the weeds and bre
s Gown In the space from which Dire
500 was removed. The idea, too of
naking the ground "pay its wayp I'm
u the trees come into bearing, is a thi
= one. While SO much tree plant w
Is gong ON, we hope some one