Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-20
Planting Orchards.

as regards exposure and the influences
of the season; it requires furthermore q
soil with good natural drainage. Where
winters are uniform in temperature and
cold spring frOsts do not prevail, the
main difficulties to guard against are the
high winds from the west and north that
iniure the blossoms and blow off the fruit
before it is mature. In such sections of
country the situation should be chosen
for the orchards where some natural
obstacle, as hill or belt of woods, will
break the force of destructive winds, or
if this is not possible, belt or border of
rapidly-growing trees should be planted
simultaneously with the setting out Of
the orchard. In other sections where late
spring frosts prevail high location with
northern exposure is best; an eastern
and southern exposure and low grounds
are to be avoided. A cold locality acts
as partial preventive against destruc-
ton by late spring frosts, because it keeps
the fruit buds back. In some portions
of the West, as in Illinois and Wisconsin,
fruit trees are liable to be killed by the
exceedingly variable winters. In such
localities choose elevated dry, firm soil,
rich enough to produce solid, we'll
matured growth. There is in most sec
tons of country experience enough to be
found among neighboring cultivators to
guide beginners in deciding the important
matter of sites for orchards, and no one
should venture to set out permanent
orchard without availing himself OF this
experience.
As regards soils, bear in mind that
peaty or mucky and damp, cold and
spongv ones are wholly unfit for fruit
orchards of any kind. Apples and pears
as rule thrive best on a dry, deep, SUBJ
stantial soil, between sandy and clayey
loan, and possessing among its morgan
ic parts considerable portion of lime. 1t
is the belief of many farmers that apples
grown on clayey soils possess better
keeping qualities than those grown on
light soils. The most enduring peach
orchards are found on dry, sandy loans.
Peach trees grown on loose, light sands,
with the occasional dressings Of good
compost, fruit well but do not live long.
Generally speaking, the plum delights in
rather stiff clayey loan. though some
sorts, as the ,Mirabelle, succeed well on
light soils. The cherry thrives best on
a light, dry, warm soil. In orchards
where apples, pears, peaches, plums,
ETC., are planted promiscuously, what is
commonly termed sandy loan with
sandy clay subsoil is best. On such a
soil all the hardy fruits will thrive, other
conditions being favorable. Under all
circumstances the soil of an orchard must
possess for most successful results the
inorganic substances, such as lime and
potash, and a goodly proportion of vege-
table mould.
As it is imperative that the soil be deep
and in good filth, the ground designed
for an orchard is best plowed the pre-
vious season, and again before the trees
are set. The season of planting, in real
ity, may extend any time after the fall
of the leaf by frost in autumn, until its
temperance in the spring, provided the
ground is not frozen, Spring and fall
are, however, the usual seasons, spring
being generally conceded to be the best
time for setting out the stone fruits.
A selection of varieties should be in
fluonoed by the wants and circumstances
of the grower. Here again the expert
ence and advice of cultivators in the
same locality will be of invaluable as
sistance. Large orchards, for profit,
should be made up of well proved varie-
ties that have been tested in the same To-
cality and soil. Whatever the variety,
low, stout trees are to be preferred to tall,
slender ones. Especially in elevated and
exposed positions are low trees the best
The usual arrangement of orchard
trees is in the square form in rows the
same distance apart and an equal dis
lance between each other. This is the
simplest plan and is most employed in
small orchards. An operation of setting
which is somewhat complicated, but
which gives more space for light and air,
is what is called the quincunx. In this
the trees of one row are opposite the
spaces in the next. In apple orchards
thirty feet from tree to tree in all direc-
tons is the usual rule. Standard pear
trees require about twenty-five feet.
Peach trees are preferable at one year
old only from the bud and should be set
at distance of say fifteen feet. Stand
ard cherries may be transplanted at one
year from the bud and should not be
over two years. About twelve feet apart
is the distance usually observed for this
fruit. Plum trees for orchard standards
should be about two years old from the
graft, with stems say three feet high
they are usually planted the same dis
lance as peaches. Ounces are advised
to be at least two years old, and they
may be three from the layer or bud set
them twelve feet apart.
AS trees invariably lose some of their
roots when taken up from the nursery,
it is necessary to cut back the branches
at the time of planting, that proper bal
ance shall exist between the stem and the
roots of the tree. The roots ought also
to be relieved of all bruised points. The
ground having been previously prepared
by blowing or trenching, holes should be
dug deep and wide enough to admit the
roots, which when carefully spread out
in natural positions may be filled in with
fine earth gently trodden down with the
foot, more earth filled in, more tramping
down of earth and so on until the exca-
walton is filled. When the trees are
large and in exposed positions it is well
to fasten them with stake or two,
otherwise this precaution is unnecessary.
Cultivators differ in their opinions about
the necessity for mulching newly set
trees; the practice is nevertheless accom-
panied with excellent results; it prevents
the moisture of the ground from evapo-