The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-04-13
FRUIT TREE PAINTING.

IQere are pfOosIo1y iA3Ay JoNS
farmers contemplating planting an
orchard, who need instruction IN
details as to time and manner OF
planting, distance apart, pruning,
etc. One of the first questions ask
ed, is, :sShall I plant in the fall o.
spring?" The answer depends
somewhat on circumstances. II
the land is well-drained I think
s most varieties will do best planted
in the fall, but I should not want
to set trees on fat land in a heavy
clay soil in autumn, for such a soil
becomes bed Of mortar, in athaw.
and the trees are likely to be lean,
ed out of shape by the wind, or
even thrown entirely out OF the
ground by freezing and thawlng'
With cherry, peach, and pear trees,
+ have had uniform good success
from spring planting. When trees
are planted in the fall, the earth
shoald be heaped around them, and
tits agoodp plan to mulch with some
thing to prevent thawing too much;
fat stones or sticks Of wood will an
swer, and will be less likely to har-
5 Dor field mice than straw or corn
stalks. IF the latter are used, do
not put It on until the ground IS
frozen.
Now, as to distance apart. !
have had fine success with ounces
e;ght feet by twelve, but unless land
was scarce for orcharding, I would
plant 12x12, which gives 3O2 trees
8 to the acre; but if the orchard is
large You would need to make every
sizth space few feet wider, so
that you can drive though with
wagon to carry in manure and bring
out the fruit. I should expect a
ounce orchard to pay a good rent
on the land by the fourth year, and
when in full bearing should con-
fdently count on from 3OO,to 500
bushels to the acre. I have an
orchard that has not missed a crop
IN eight years, and this year has
averaged two bushels to the tree.
4 ounce orchard should be culti-
yated every year.
Peach trees are usually set six
teen and a half feet each way, or
lg0 10 the acre, but if one has plen.
ty of land I would recommend
wider planting, say 1920, and
think the fruit would be enough
better to pay for it. Damson plums
will do well as close as the peaches,
or even a rod each way, as they are
an upright grower. I do not speak
of other varieties Of plums, because
I this is the only one l ever grew at
a profit. Pears I would plant l6x
90, and apples 32x32; or if was
intending to fill the orchard with
peach trees, three peach to one ap,
pie, I would plant 32x40- I have
had good success in this way, the
peach trees bearing and passing
away before the apple trees needed
the room.
All my experience in orcharding
IS favorable to the planting Of
young trees. I Nvuld plant one
year from the bud, or graft, Of
peach, pear and cherry one year
from the cutting of ounce, and
thrifty two-yea old apple. My rea-
sons are that young tree is less
mutilated and disturbed by trans
planting, than an older one, and,
consequently sooner recovers from
the shock; it costs less money, is
easier handled and planted, and in
repeated trials, side by side, I have
: found that thrifty small tree
would in three OF four years over
take a large one.
In digging holes for fruit trees,
remove the surface soil one spade
deep, and place it to one side, and
then take out one spade deep Of the
subsoil, and place on the opposite
side. This will make the hole some
inches deeper than an ordinary
tree will need, and when you set
the tree you must cut down the
edges of the hole, and thus fill the
bottom with good soil to the right
depth. Then set your tree so that
it will stand about the same depth
it did in the nursery, and fill in the
top soil, pressing it firmly with the
foot around the roots, and put your
second spade Of snbsoil on the
surface. This gives mellow, rich
bed for the roots of your>trees, and
brings the surface soil free from
weed seed. It also saves half the