Ellsworth American., 1872-01-11
AsrienItnral.
FRUIT CULTURE, No. 4.
Laying Out Orchards.

form" and the hexagonal." The first is
the most simple, and where orchards are to
be cultivated, the most convenient. When
this is accurately done, the trees viii all
form straight rows.
The yasRctts1 mode has no special advan-
tage to recommend it, When orchards
cannot be cultivated with the plow, the
he1daonal is to be preferred 4 greater
number of trees per acre, can be set, and
their increased proximity make them self
protectors. One reason, why the hexagon-
al form is so little adopted, is the supposed
difficulty in laying out the grounds; but 1t
becomes simple and easy when understood.
DISTANCE BETWEEN TREES.
Pathological books says Thirty feet apart
each way for standard trees" giving Is
trees to an acre.
Sorts which grow to great size, like the
Yellow Bellnower, or the Winthrop Gre~'-
ing unless 'headed-in,' need fror- f'-VV W
1000 square feet OF surface 'eiu"'"s
distance of from Is + 40 feet between
them. Smaller gr~'ers, as the Duchess oi
oldenbur0 = me Garden Royal, need but
4oo s~-..re feet, equal to a distance apart Of
ieet-
Experience shows. that for Down East
orchards, which are mostly of mixed sorts,
a less distance, with more trees to the acre,
is much better. Trees lG feet asunder in
the rows, and those 25 feet apart, give ll5
trees to an acre, or 400 square surface feet
10 each.
The tree. will give greater protection,
one to another, If the rows are East and
West, putting large topped varieties, Ike
the PeaImain in the outside ones.
PLANTING THE TREES.
The most OF apple trees. are reset in the
spring. at time, when men feel hurried.
The difference between transplanting them
As il should. and should not be done, is just
the difference between success and failure.
Considerable skill is required TO plant trees
just right, and this iust right. is what makes
fruitful orchards. Very much depends on
this process being performed in proper
manner.
\ broad, deep hole-l5 inches deep, at
least 70 inches would be better-should
first he made and filed with surface soil
and old mGEure. to point where the roots
are TO rest In digging the holes the sur
face soil should be thrown out on one side.
and the subsoI on another, leaving two
sides TO guide in setting the tree at the
same depth in the ground il stood when in
the nursery. The tree should be diyested
OF injured roots, by cutting of smoothly.
with a sharp knife. This work of ampu-
tation, should be neither hurriedly. nor
bungllngly performed, for AZ the roots are
the tree feeders as well a the mechanical
supporters OF tree, ii is all important that
their breaks and bruises be healed as quick
ly a. Is possible.
Befors the trees are placed in the holes,
the roots should be wet with muddy water
or If they have been exposed. SO a. 10
become dry and shrivelled. they should be
covered root and branch-with earth, for s
few days. When the trees are put into the
holes TO be covered, the roots should be
spread out horizontally, or IN their natural
position, and nne and well pulverized top
soil oiled in among and around them, SO as
10 leave no vacant spaces for dead air Ia
produce mould or decay. When the hole.
are nearly filled pour in water 10 settle the
dirt, and complete the filing by a little hill
lock of earth about each tree.
Many good orchardists recommend, TO
sever the tap-root before transplanting, for
they say vertical roots give vertical tops
tall 0pes) which are more tardy bearers
than trees with low tops. II trees must
be set where there is 3 water saturated sub
soil, cut of the tap-root otherwise leave
them uncut
Most Of the Fruit-books say. mot to
manure newly set trees but the writers
Of such books have in mind, a rich garden
soil. where manure would force an i'm
mature growth Bw trees set out at the
present day ia almost any sod, require sad-
EuriaJ as much as corn,
Trees properly planted, that stop grow
ing. or become stunted, do so for want OF
nounshment; they cannot draw their nutri-
tion from hungry soil; they must be sup
piled ike other crops, and when so sup
piled, they will not renunerate the owner
with discouraging results.
After the trees have been planted and
staked firmly. so as not TO sioay in the
ground, and endanger the life Of them, the
first act Of cultivation, is that of
HEADING IN.
The pros" and cons" Of the dlsagreeing
tree-doctors, regarding the act of trim
ming, hesding-in. or cutting back Of the
tops the first year, call for some precision
OF statement.
Very many trees have been hopelessly
dwarfed, or killed outright. by heading
in" while quite as many have become
prohtless, for want OF it.
Some advise that standard apple trees
be trimmed up as nearly as possible TO the
height it is desired the future head should
be; then cut of from one-third TO one half
OF each of tAe remaining branches, and OF
the top;' and by some, ITO remove all of
the branches, leaving only the straight
stock" Others say, ''cut back the tops to
correspond with the loss of roots eau sed
by removal" while, again. il is said, ..if
the trees have been properly reset, and
mulched there should be no cutting back
the first year"
The rule for guidance which crops out of
these conflicting "say-sos." appears to be.
10 thin out the tops rather than to .-cut
back" and that the thinning must be pro-
portionate to the loss of roots Take off
first such limbs as cross each other: I'd
where they stand too closely on the same
side Of tree; Sd, vertical, or upright ones.
Cut off the branches to be removed. with
clean, upward cut, and as near to the trunk
as possible. A severe heading-in, is TO be
avoided. for it SO exposes the naked trunk.
that the bark is apt to ''sun-scald," which
is death TO tree-or severe cutting.back
may SO deprive tree of its leaves-the
lungs OF tree-as to bring on congestion