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

4ACAC al P-oDs'Sty "y
farmers contemplating planting an
orchard, who need instruction ID
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 Of
spring." The answer depends
somewhat on circumstances. II
the land is well-drained I think
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 thawing'
With cherry, peach, and pear trees,
I have had uniform good success
from spring planting. When trees
are planted in the fall, the earth
should be heaped around them, and
tits agood 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-
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. l
nave had fine success with ounces
eight feet by twelve, but unless land
was scarce for orcharding, I would
plant 12x12, which gives 3O2 trees
to the acre; but if the orchard is
large you would need to make every
sixth space few feet wider, so
that you can drive though with a
wagon to carry in manure and bring
out the fruit. I should expect
ounce orchard to pay good rent
on the land by the fourth year, and
when in full bearing should con-
fdently count on from 3O0,to 500
bushels to the acre. I have an
orchard that has not missed crop
in eight years, and this year has
averaged two bushels to the tree.
A ounce orchard should be cult
vated every year.
Peach trees are usually set six
teen and o half feet each way, or
160 to. 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 rod each way, as they are
an upright grower. I do not speak
of other varieties Of plums, because
this is the only one l ever grew at
ploGt. Pears I would plant l6x
20, and apples 32x32 or if 1 was
intending to fill the orchard with
peach trees, three peach to one ap'
pie, I would plant 32x40. [ 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 70 the planting of
young trees. I would plant one
year from the bud, or graft, of
peach, pear and cherry; one year
from the cutting Of ounce, and a
thrifty tWo-year old apple. My rca-
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 a thrifty small tree
would in three or four years over
take a large one.
In digging holes for fruit trees,
remove the surface soil ore 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 sabsoil 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
lahor of 0iooinr the holes. .