The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-09

About Planting Fruit Trees.

Land owners sometimes make the. mistake of
doing all their planting of fruit trees in single
season. supposing that no further care is ne
cessary for long years to come. part of these
trees come into bearing in few years, but
vacancies are found in the succession for
supply some improvement is suggested in the
selection, and years must elapse before these
vacancies. made by omissions, or by occasional
dead trees, be supplied by bearing trees.
The man who does not feel interest enough in
fruit culture to make yearly OF frequent addi-
tons to his assortment. and to inform himself
relative to the best sorts, will never have any
thing better that an imperfect supply.
The period In the season Is approaching when
selections are to be made for autumnal orders
on the nurseries, and excellent opportunities
are presented now, in the time of ripe fruits,
to make additions to former lists Better selec-
tous of trees may be had before the assortments
of nurserymen are reduced by whole season
of autumn sales, and the trees, if not set out
when received, are easily kept till spring by
heeling- in-remembering the two precautions
of filing in compactly with mellow earth every
possible interstice among the mass of roots. and
surrounding the trees with mound Of compact,
smooth and clean earth, to exclude mice.
In purchasing trees do not make the mistake
of selecting large trees from the nursery rows.
These will be sure to have the roots more cut
and mutilated than smaller ones. It will be
more difficult to brace them against the wind
Small trees may be taken up with a larger por-
ton of uninjured roots. They are more easily
and perfectly set out. They cost less. in the
first place: they are more easily packed In
bundles or boxes, and are less liable to injury in
transit; the freight or express charges are less,
and they are more readily trained into proper
shape at the beginning With due care the
smaller trees will be thrifty at the
start, and WILL in few years, overtake
the larger ones, which have been
checked by removal. The difference between
the crops when they bear, will be handsome,
thrifty, we'll grown fruit on the one, and small
fruit of second quality on the other. This will
be the tendency, although there may be excep-
tions. To obtain the most satisfactory results,
| the best must of course be given, and with
| out care it would be better not to plant either
| large or small. AS the terms large and small
are indefinite, it may be well to state that apple
| cherry and pear trees two years from the bud or
! graft of thrifty growth, and peach trees one
| one year, are as large some of the most skill
| full cultivators wish to purchase. Trees another
year older may succeed well if great care is
| taken to secure long roots in taking them up,
and in shortening back the year.ing shoots when
setting out
| The owner who makes frequent or yearly ad-
ditions to his fruit grounds, even if only with a
few trees at time. will acquire knowledge Of
| fruits and their management, and will not be
| liable to the impositions often reported of ex
| travagant prices and extravagant claims on the
| part Of unreliable vendors, and they will be able
| to discriminate between impostors on the one
hand and trustworthy agents of reliable nursery
| men on the other.