Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-08-14
Setting Out Trees.


for iraosplanting fruit trees are fur
nishad BIZ 2, Barry, of the Mount
Hope Nurseries, u the Rochester
Democrat
The Soil for Fruit Trees. The ay.
efAge soil TO be found in tho garden
ct any part of our city is good
ouaugh in it, natural state. All it
n Is il good deep blowing or
sp ding, to fl /, for The trees. 1t
must be free from stagnant wster.
n enc would think OF permitting
the garden which surrounds his
da cling to remain swamp. For
heal his sake the drainage must be
perfect. The health of fruit trees
requires this too.
Ho.c to Plant-Inexperienced
pes are very apt to make a
great fuss over the planting of a
tree, or they will run 20 the other
extreme and cram it into the ground
as they would bean pole. Very
common errors are planting toe
deeply and applying manure around
the roots. No manure is needed at
time of planting-wait TILL tho tree
gsts to rowing and then apply the
manure, if needed, on the surface OF
the ground over the roots.
Dig hole large enough and deep
en- ugh to receive the roots, spread
ont in their natural way, and so
that the tree will stand no deeper
in the ground than it did In tho nur-
sery thon fill in good surface earth
among the roots carefully, filling
every space. When the spaces are
all filled ard the roots covered, then
begin to pack the earth AS it goes in,
and keep packing firmly till the
work i. complete. To the errors |
have already meutioued--deep
planting and manure at the roots
will add the other-loose plant-
ing, which is very general and very
tatal Don't be afraid of making
the earth too firm about the roots.
The Use Of Water in Planting.-it
il very common to pour water
y
ing. without stopping to inquire
why Uuless the soil is extremely
dry, in the spring, and the tree has
s'ready commenced to grow, water
does more harm than good. And
right here it may as well be said, If
dry weather ensues after planting
so as to affect the tree, do not
sprinkle every day, but remove two
inches of the surface over the roots
and pour water enough to go clear
down to the lowest roots--replsce
the earth and mulch with q little
hay, or grass, or straw, or tan bark,
or something to prevent rapid evap-
grafton. Seldom will any more
water be needed.
What kind Of Trees 10 Plant.-
Most people want large trees, must
have large trees; when the )lant-
ing humor comes patience seems to
be lost-must have trees that will
bear right away. Looking at trees
just of the proper size they will ex.
claim, "Who could wait for such
whips to bear ?" "Wo may all be in
our graves before that time" Truo
enough, there may be exceptional
cases whom few large trees, re-
moved aud planted with extraordi-
nary care, may DO success, but in
a general way the trees that plant
most successfully and thrive best
MI IL MI nj al l.
the most healthy, productive and
long-lived trees: are those trans
planted young-say apples three to
four years, pears and pums two To
four years, cherries two years,
peaches one year. The age means
the growth of the bud or graft, and
has no reference to the age of the
stock grated or budded upon. The
older the tree the greater the check
in transplanting, and this Is why
the young trees will overtake and
pass Tn older and larger tree in the
rsce of growth.
But whatever msy be the age.pize
or character of your tree, look well
to i.s roots. Have thcm all, or ns
many of them as may be possible,
preserved from mutilation or injury
of any kind and protect them from
the air, so that they will not be
dried to death before you get them
10 the ground. sec people every
year handling trees as if they were
dry brush, and it should be an in
dictable offence.
What about Pruning at the time Of
Trdnsptdnting ?-This is mooted
question, hut long experience shows
that whatever theory may teach, il
ia safe to shorten back the branches
at time of planting this by reduc-
ing the number OF leaf-buds, and
consequently leaves, reduces their
evaporating power while the tree
is forming new roots and gettibg
ueed to its new home A good rule,
as far as we can make rule. is TO
cut back the young shoots TO two
or three buds at the base, and
where shoots are TOO close cut ont
some of them altogether.
Hon. far apart should Trees be
Planted? The average distances
may 30 given as follows : Standard
trees-Apples 80 feet, pears and
cherries 20 feet, the smaller class OF
cherries will do very we'll at 10 to
Is feet plums, peaches, apricots
nectarines, is to l8 feet, ounces 10
TO IL feet. Dwarf trees--Apples
on paradise stock six feet apart, and
nothing in the whole range of fruit
culture is more interesting than
these miniature apple trees, three
or four feet in height aud the same
in diameter, whether in blossom or
fruit. Pears, cherries, and plums,
ten 70 twelve feet. CurraDts,goose-
berries, and raspberries, three to
four feet. These distances can of
course be varied TO suit circum-
stances.