The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-21

pecially under tbs. crown or fork of the
roots, in order that no air spaces may
be left to dry out. This dirt can be
best placed by lingering it in, moving
the tree gently up and down at the
same time. Once or twice in the pro-
gress of filling the hole, the earth
should be stamped down. Fill the
hole to a little more than level full to
cary off surface water, but be careful
that no hoilows are left close about
the tree into which water can settle.
especially when planting in the fall.
Stamp the earth very firmly about the
tree before leaving it, for the double
purpose of retaining moisture and of
holding the tree against winds. All
this operation of tree planting can pro-
coed to perfection only when the earth
is dry enough to crumble Trees can
not be well planted in wet and sticky
soil.
If the trees are set according to
these directions and the tops, are cut
back as explained farther on, there
will rarely be any necessity for stalk
ing and tying the trees to keep them
plumb.
Making the Rows Straight.
Mr.. L. T. Yeomans of Walworth,
Wayne Co., one of the most successful
fruit-growers in the state, gives me his
method of making out an orchard:
1.-The plan which we have always
used is simple and very effective. l
have seen rows. of apples thirty rods
in length so straight that one could
not see a pitchfork handle held upright
in the row, and which rowed as
straight diagonally as in the square.
To plant an orchard of considerable
size, provide straight sticks about four
feet long Common lath are very suit
able); whitewash about one-half of
their length. on both sides. Measure
the distance on the outside of the
boundary rows around the field,
setting perpendicular stake at
the distances you desire the
rows apart; then set an inter-
mediate row of stakes across the
middle of the field each way by having
one person set the stake while another
person sights him from stake at the
side of the field to the corresponding
stake at the opposite side. No stake
or row of stakes should be set where
a tree or row of trees will come. Thus
the entire orchard may be planted
without removing a stake and the rows
must be straight if the man who plants
the trees has good eye Any man
after a little showing can dig holes in
the proper places by sighting in two
lines at right angles from himself in
the direction in which there are two
stakes in line, as will always be the
case wherever he may be in the field.
If the ground is very uneven, or the
field very large, more than one inter-
mediate row of stakes will be useful"
When the tree is planted, all the roots
should be Strengthened out to nearly
or quite their normal position. If it is
found that one or two roots run off to
an inordinate length, they may be cut
back to correspond somewhat with the
main root system.
Perhaps half the entire root system
of the young tree is left in the ground
when it is dug. 1t is therefore evident
that the top should be cut back to a
amount. In fact, the
top should be more severely shortened
in than the root, because the root, in
addition to being reduced is also dis
lodged from the soil, with which it
must establish a, new union before 1t
which are allowed to- carry too much
top when planted may fail to grow out
right; or if they start, they are very
likely to be oyertaken by the drouths
Of summer. On the other hand, / am
convinced that trees are sometimes
too severely when set. Elk
cept possibly in the case of peaches, I
think it generally unwise to trim the
trees to mere pole; and with peaches,
think it better to leave spurs with at
least one bud than to trim to whip.
There should be a number of strong
bright buds left Upon the top, for these
are the points where early and active
growth begins. These buds are upon
strong branches. If they are removed,
the weaker or half dormant buds upon
the main trunk or low down in the
49, %11 !,
these start slowly and often feebly.
There are two general methods of
the tops of young trees at
planting time. One method cuts, back
all the branches to spurs of from one
to three buds; or sometimes, particu-
larly with dwarf pears set when two
years old, the side branches may be
cut entirely away, leaving only the
buds on the main stem or trunk. The
tree therefore feathers out" the first
season; that is, it makes many small
shoots along the main trunk. The fol-
lowing fall or spring the top is started
at the desired height. This method is
the one generally best adapted to the
peach. which is always set when year
old; but for other frits, unless the trees
are slender and without good branchy
tops, 1t is doubtful if it is the best prae-
tice. If the bodies are thought not to
be stiff enough, this manner of trim
ming may be used to good advantage.
The main shoot should be headed back
in this as in all styles of trimming, in
order to make the trunk stocky.
The second method aims to start the
top at the required height when the
tree is planted, 1t is adapted only to
strong and well grown stocks which
have more or less branching and
forking top. From three to five of the
best branches are left, and these are
headed back to few buds each. Many
Of our best planters prefer the spur
system for all trees, and there are
some who would trim all newly set
trees to a straight whip; but there is
much to be said for this last method,
and I have used it many years with
uniform success
1t may be said in general, then, that
peach trees and small or slender trees
should be well headed back and
spurred; but that strong, well branched
trees may have the head started at the
desired height at the time of setting,
all the branches being well headed
back.
The trees may be trimmed before
10 it just after they are set for one
,an then better estimate the proper
height, the operation is easier done,
and there is no further danger of
oeraking off the limbs by the handling
If the tree. One foot is planted firmly
1T the base Of the tree, and then with
one hand the branch to be removed is
bent upwards and with the other the
Knife is applied to the under side and
the cut is made neatly and easily.
Never cut downwards on a limb, for
Jagged wound nearly always follows.
Buying the Trees.
1t is best, when it can be done, to
order trees late in the summer or early
n the fall, if one expects to plant an
orchard. Buy where the best trees can
be obtained, and where there is good
reason to expect reliable stock and
honest dealing. While one should en-