The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-05-12


position rs regards exposure and the in
fluences of the season. It requires, fur
thernore, n 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 injure the
blossoms and blow off the fruit before
IL is mature. In such sections of the
country the situation should be chosen
tor the orchards where some natural
obstacle, as a hill or belt of woods,
will break the force of destructive
winds, or, if this is not possible. a belt
or border of rapidly-growing trees
should be planted simultaneously with
the setting out of the orchards. In
other sections where late spring fr0sts
prevail a high location with northern
exposure is best; an eastern and south
ern exposure and low grounds are to
be avoided. A cold locality acts as a
partial preventive against destruction
by late spring frosts, because it keeps
the fruit buds back. There is in most
sections of country experience enough
to be found among the neighboring
cultivators to guide beginners in de-
Gliding the important matter of sites for
orchards. and no one should venture
out availing himself of this experience.
AS regards soils, bear in mind that
peaty or mucky and damp, cold and
spongy ones are wholly unfit for fruit
orchards of any kind. Apples and pears
as rule thrive best on a dry, deep, sub
stantial soil, between a sandy and
clayey loan, and possessing among its
inorganic parts a considerable portion
of lime. 1t is the belief of many farm
ers 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 occa-
sional 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 a
sandy clay subsoil is best. On such a
soil all the hardy fruits will thrive,
other conditions being favorable. I'm
der all circumstances the soil of an
orchard must possess for most success
full results the inorganic substances,
such as lime and potash, and goodly
proportion of vegetable mold.
AS it is imperative that the soil be
deep and in good tilth, the ground des-
ignated for an orchard is best plowed
the previous season, and again before the
trees are set. The season of planting, in
reality, 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
huenced 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 va
rieties that have been tested in the same
locality and soil. Whatever the va
riety, low, stout trees are to be pre-
terred 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 in equal dis
tance between each other. This is the
simplest plan and is most employed in
small orchards. An operation of set
ting 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
al directions is the usualrule Stand
ard pears require about twenty-five
feet. Peach trees are preferable at one
year old only from the bud and should
he set at distance of say fifteen feet
Standard cherries may be transplanted
Mt one year from the bud and Should
not be over two years. About twelve
feet apart is the distance usually OBJ
served 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 distance 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
balance shall exist between the stem
anu Ine IOOCS OF Jne Tree. line roots
ought also to be relieved of all bruised
points. The ground having been previ-
ously prepared by yplowing 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 excavation is filled
When the trees are large and in exposed
positions it is well to fasten them with
a stake or two, otherwise this precau-
tion is unnecessary. Cultivators differ
in their opinions about the necessity
for mulching newly set trees; the prac-
tice is nevertheless accompanied with
excellent results; it prevents the n DIST
ure Of the ground from evaporating and
maintains a uniformity of heat and