Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-25
LOCATING ORCHARDS.
The BENEFITS of Local shsiter-st.,hod.
~ Planting.

~ Planting.
In his valuable papers ON hortlcnltuf A
and kindred subjects. just published.
Mr William Saunders. surefintoudeut
OF gardens and grounds Of the agricul.
tural department at Washington. has the
following to says
From the circumstance that fruit
orchards which ARE situated In valleys
aud in low. sheltered places aro not 80
healthy aud prolific, aud are more liable
to injury from changes Of temperature
than those situated in more elevated and
exposed places, It has been argued that
all kinds Of protection and shelter %
fruit trees should be condemned a, min.
rious, and that IA. coideat aud bleakoat
positions on northern slopes arc greatly
10 BE- preferred for fruits This IL mob.
ably going from ono extreme 10 another.
II L. conceded that ono Of the very wor..
situations for fruit orchard h In the
ricl land Of n contracted. sheltered val.
ley, for Va such position tho trees nrp
subjected 20 great extremes Of tcmporn.
iurc A difference Of 90 dogs. Is not
Uncommon between the temperature OF
tho valley aud that " point on The
hillside sixty feet above It during pori.
DDS Of severe frosta Il Is very evident
that such n sitv would be OF tho worst
selection. and. 20 Tar as topography Is
concerned. tho elevated northern oxpos.
urc would DO greatly preferable; but. q
sufficiently elevated site ouce scloctod. Il
docs not follow that Il should not b.
judiciously sheltered, locally. from tho
rxhausting effects Of arid or cold winds.
Tho benefits Of local shelter are we'll
known aud should not be- compounded
with the evils which follow a bad selec.
tion, as above stated.
II is u common observation TINT the
outer rows Of trees la established or
chards are finer and more productive
than the trees In the interior plantation.
This superiority q al tho more conspicu.
Gus II the orchard Ia borlcfcd by cult.
waited fields, and Il Is fair to presume
that the extra luxuranco 10 owing 10 tho
trees having grcator extent Of unoccu.
pied toil for tho ramiiication OF their
rootA Something is also undoubtedly
due 10 tho greater space available for tho
expansion and spread Of the branches.
but 70 Is In accordance with all expert
cnco In the cultivation Of plants that q
rotation " crops IA absolutely essential
toward securing tho best results Of tho
fertility Of the soil. Keeping these facts
In view, II IL suggested that nn improve.
ment upon the present method Of plant.
ing orchards would be- gained by plant.
ing two rows 81 trees from eighteen 20
twenty-five feet or moro apart, depend.
ing upon the nature o. the tres, aud al.
tcrnat.ng the plants IN tho rows Then
allow a space, varying In extent from
800 feet 10 any greater distance, before
planting another series OF rows aud 40
increase tho plantation ~ far as may DO
desired. The intervening spaces betwcc 1
these double rows OF trees would DO
available for tho cultivation of the or.
binary crops Of the farm. The roots Ut
the trees would not only participate In
tho benefits Of cultivation. but would
also have practically unlimited room lot
extension before meeting with other
roots Of their kind.
Immediately under the trees aud for a
distance on each side OF the rows ~ far
as the branches spread the surface could
10 kept Ia grass. II not sown down i'm
mcdiately after planting. which might
not be desirable In all cases, II should bo
done after the trees attain fruit bear.
ing sizo, or from five to seven years after
setting out. The shelter which will bo
afforded TO other crops by these orchard.
will be found valuable as protection
from winds, as well as forwarding early
crops. This method Is particularly APP
pllcablo TO apple aud pear trooa.