Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-20
Eos Anaelss alemld.
scmi.rroplcal orcnaraIux.
From the Southern California Horticy


From the Southern California Horticul-
turist.
The season for planting orange,
lemon and lime orchards has ar
rived. 1t has generally been con-
coded that the month of May is the
best time in which to transplant
the orange. Orchardists and nur-
eerymen differ on this point-some
maintaining that February or
March are better months, while
others prefer the Fall of the year.
We are inclined to the opinion that
the objections to February are not
we'll founded, and that the bad
luck which occasionally attends
the transplanting of trees in that
month are attributable more to the
way In which the work is done
than to the season of the year.
When trees are planted during the
Winter months there is not gener-
ally so much pains taken with the
work as when it is done in the
Summer time. During the Winter
the days are cool, the ground is
wet, rains are continually falling,
and it is too apt to be considered
that If the tree is taken
up and put out again in finely pre-
pared soil it must necessarily grow.
While handling deciduous trees
this proposition is almost true
apple and peach trees will grow, if
put out in February, even though
the work is very rapidly and inn
perfectly done; but when we come
to evergreen trees another rule
must prevail. If the fibrous roots
of an evergreen tree become dry
the chances for saving the life of
the tree are very slim. 1t has
been customary with persons NOV
ing orange trees in the Winter
time, to take up the trees without
sacking the roots. If the trees are
only out of the ground little
white, and care is taken to keep
the roots wet and away from the
chilly winds, this may do; but the
chances are that the roots will be-
come dry, and the tree dead, I'M
less the precaution invariably
adopted in Summer-of sacking
trees as they are taken from nurse
ry--is adhered to. One objection
to removing the tree in Summer is
that the taking up of a tree neces-
sarily checks the flow of sap if
the weather is hot at the time, be-
fore the flow of sap is re-established
the trees dry up, the bark becomes
burnt, the tree becomes stunted,
and great deal of valuable time
Is wasted in again restoring the
circulation, If it ever is restored.
But as the discussion of this ques
ton may now be u little out of
season, We shall have occasion to
refer to it again next Winter.
Those who desire to plant orchards
should do so at once; and complete
their work, If possible, before the
first of June.
The soil should be thoroughly
pulverized. If the land is new it
should be plowed twice. Each
blowing should be done with the
burrows running the same way you
expect to run the water in irrigat-
ing, and in the second blowing the
"deadn furrow, should come upon
the first shack" furrow, and the
shack" furrow in the first "dead"
furrow. A good narrowing, or,
what ia still better, thorough
working with large cultivator,
will then leave your land level
and in good condition to lay off
and plant. This, however, is very
much inferior to the cultivator in
preparing or working ground, as it
packs and hardens the ground,
while the cultivator loosens it up.
In blowing the second time 1t is
better that the burrows should be
deeper and narrow.
LAYING OUT THE GROUND.
The work of laying out the
grounds is an easy matter, but re-
quires care. Seeding orange trees
should not be planted less than "a
feet apart; this will give by the
square system 10 trees to the acle
by the quincunx, 81. In plant
ing foreign budded varieties, such
as Mediterranean Sweet, Duroy,
st Michael, etc., smaller distance
will do-say 20 feet apart, giving
109 by the square system, and l26
by the quincunX. In large orchards
the quiucunx system is preferable,
but III smaller plats of ground it
is sometimes inconvient to set trees
in that way. 1t requires but little
more work to put the trees out in
regular shape, so that the trees
shall row in every direction, and
the orchard looks enough better to
pay for the extra work and skill
required to do the work right. To
illustrate the method of laying off
an orchard, suppose we take for ex-
ample ten-acre tract, which is,
in square shape-660 feet each way.
First establish accurately the four
corner stakes. In planting by the
square system this plat of ground
Will contain q rows, with q trees
to the row, leaving margin of IS
feet between the outside rows and
the line. Take wire small enough
to be easily handled, and just
strong enough to be able to sustain
the necessary strain in stretching
across the ten-acre tract. In this
wire tie a single knot every TWEEN
ty-four feet, enclosing firmly in the
knot a small stick or tag. Be care
full in this work, SO that when the
wire is stretched across the plat
the measurements shall be accu-
rate after putting in tag for each
OF the q trees, tie in another tag at
each point in the wire where it
crosses the line-eighteen feet
from the end trees of the row.
Stretch this wire along the line on
one side of he plat, being careful
that it is perfectly straight, and
stick q peg opposite each tag on
the wire-each time on the same
side of the wire. Take your wire
across to the opposite side of the
tract and stick pegs along that line
also. You can then stretch the
wire across the field in the other d.
rectioD, commencing on one side of
the tract; if your work has been