The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-15
A GOOD WAY TO PLANT AN
ORCHARD.

know it to be a good way, because
l followed il in 1868 by setting 100
trees and have g 9 the results. picking
last year 400 barrels and selling all but
reflections for 80 cents a barrel. Some
years ago when they were scarce and
high sold sixty barrels in the fall on
the barn floor for So per barrel.
/ got the trees this way A man
came round to me, and said he would
like to take ar order for some apple
trees. Where dOyOu get your trees9''
l asked. From the Rochester nursery
men; I live there, am we'll acquainted
with them, and will give YOU good
satisfaction. | had but little to do this
winter and thought l would visit nv
brother living in your town and take
orders for trees, as he would have
plenty of time to deliver them was
well acquainted with his brother. and
knew him to be an honest man: so bar
gained for 100 trees-Baldwins and
Greenings-for $25, and in the spring
he brought me twenty more as extra
of different sorts to set in the back ward
for family use I heeled them in on
the north side of the barn.
The ground to set them in was slate
loan, with hardpan underneath. and
hard it 1t was planted with a
hoed crop the year before, and seeded
down after trees were set. AS [ wanted
to get an early benefit, I took extra
pains in setting. The ground was laid
out in rows Is feet aparteach way land
l wish it had been $50, a short stake
putdown where every tree was to stand.
and q man set to dig the holes 2 to %
feet out from the stake, as deep as the
pillow ran. Then, with man and team.
l went to an old dilapidated dwelling,
that stood on the back part of the farm,
and carried several loads of rich earth
from the rea of the house, where va
suds and slOp water had been thrown
for nearly 100 years. 1t was so rich in
f~ertiliZing material that it looked
greasy, and grass and weeds did not
grow there. | put a bushel or more in
the centre of each hole. Then, with a
team, stone-bOat, a half hogshead tub
and a dIpper, l went to a pond hole in
the barnyard and filed it as full as
convenient with the dark liquid that
drained from the manure pile, and
mixed the rich earth with it to the con
sistency of thin mortar. Most of the
setting l did with my own hands;
spread the soil in the hole. dipped the
OACO III GAO buO, duu opI0du CLl6 IOOLS
as far as they would reach, covering
with the rich soil first, then with that
taken out in making the hole, and
pressing the earth around the stem
with my foot. l wateTed them onceo or
twice afterwards.
They made a spendid growth the
first year, and not a single tree died.
1 began to pick apples the sixth year
after setting. About that time apple
tree setting was booming in my vicin
ity, but many of the trees have not
paid for the setting. The fact is, many
persons will set a rec as though they
were burying a dead cat, throwing out
three or four spadefuls of earth, then
sticking in the tree and poking the
earth back. | know that many COM
planned of trees dying in those days.
My orchard bids fair for one third of
a crop this year, and if so through the
country, [ may get as much for apples
as l did last year for the big crop
VIM A. Dean, IN Country Gentleman.
Columbia county, N. Y.