The Lamar register., 1891-04-11
Colorado Fruit Growing.

ience Will net come amiss TO many oil your
numerous readers. The eastern tree
agents are again abroad in the land prais-
ing their stock up to the sky. Such hardy
varieties and large fruit was never before
brought out. They have this year got
varieties that cap the climax above all
other fruit ever known in Colorado, and
their prices are only moderate for these
varieties of fruit, only from $3.50 to s. for
pear trees As far as twenty-five years.
experience in Colorado goes it is best to
let these agents alone. II you want east
ern stock send to some responsible nur-
seryman direct who has a reputation at
| stake, and get your stock from him. / was
talking to man from Longmont, Colo,
last week, and he told me he was advised
by tree agent last fall to give him his
order for trees to the amount Of Sl0o, and
was advised how to plant them, and ne
told me had not tree left of the 500 bill
that was living, and several Of his neigh
bors were in the same fix. The reason
Vas the trees had been dug too early, be-
fore they had got through growing; and
the man told me he could see that the
leaves had been stripped OF. Don't plant
trees in the fall, either eastern or Colorado
grown, nor get them in the fall for early
spring planting. To my certain knowledge.
nursery trees grown In Colorado are NOT
through growing before the end of Noyem-
ber. USo would advise all tree planters
not to plant in Colorado before very carly
in the spring, the earlier the better. Some
Will say why not get trees liz the fall and
bury them so US to have them on hand for
early spring planting. TO such l say, if
you want your trees TO grow don't do it
One great fault of nurserymen is, they dig
their trees toe early in the fall 10 pack
away in the cold storage cellar for early
spring sales. The consequence is that
more than half OF these trees are as good
as dead when planted in the spring. The
too early digging of trees in the fall was
spoken against at the annual meeting OF
nurserymen held in Chicago last summer,
Neither would l recommend planting any
kind of small fruits in the fall except pot
grown strawberry plants. but plant as
early as possible in the spring, both fruit,
ornamental and shade trees, also all kinds
of small fruits In planting fruit trees,
don't plant too close. Plant apple
trees Sthirty feet apart. Pear trees
twenty feet. except dwarf, which may be
planted twelve TO fifteen feet. Plum ff-
teen to twenty feet cherry twenty to
twenty five feet, according TO varieties.
Better have two good trees in the front or
back yard, than seven or eight closely
planted with their branches growing one
into the other. II you want more than
two or three varieties in small space,
graft live or SIX varieties on one tree and
you will have them But don't plant too
many trees In too small space. When
you plant trees, imagine what their size
will be in eight or ten years, not what
they look like when you plant them. One
good tree well grown will produce much
finer fruit, and as much Of il, as five or
six all tangled together. When planting,
the first thing of Importance is to have
your ground plowed or dug very deep, say
from twelve TO fourteen inches, and well
mellowed. Dig holes wide across, say two
or three feet, aud twelve to eighteen inch
es deep, partly I'LL in the hole with mellow
surface soil, so that your trees will stand
when planted about the same depth it
stood in the nursery or trifs deeper.
Lean the tree when planting trite to the
tablished you will have a tree standing
perpendicular. Spread the roots out
evenly and work the soil well among them
Tramp down lightly if in heavy soil, If in
light sandy soil tramp more solidly; but
on no account use any manure in the
ground at time of planting. If you use
any manure at all spread it on top of the
ground after your trees are planted, but
keep it away from the body OF your trees
As soon as planted give a good watering,
| and the first season water well about once
week, not oftener; the second season
| water every ten days or two weeks. Keep
your ground well cultivated-don't allow
weeds or anything else 70 grow within
| four feet Of your trees. Trees planted
and attended 10 in this way are bound to
| give satisfaction from the start, provided
| you get good stock TO begin with In
| planting never let the roots get dry. keep
them wrapped in wet sack, or what is
better, keep them in a tub OF water or
running stream until you are ready for
them, and IL you can get Colorado grown
trees that have really been raised in Colo
RADIO take them every time, as eastern
| grown stock and Colorado-grown stock
are as different in appearance as gold is
from silver. Follow the same method in
| planting shade and ornamental trees as
| fruit trees.