The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-11-16
Fruit G0OWiNl JOfTIN1s.
me Proper Manner OF Planting Out
Fruit Trees.

Fruit Trees.
cline upon line, precept upon pre-
cept." says Southern fruit grower,
must be written regarding the proper
manner Of planting out fruit trees; not
that there exists great diversity OF
opinion, but because so little heed Is
paid to the plain teachings OF nature
and common sense. ''The way father
or grandfather did It," is authority
for the majority, and they seek no fur
ther knowledge.
Now the world moves, and many new
and valuable methods have been de-
vised which insure the desired kind
and quality Of fruit, hasten maturity
and prevent decay. The non-progres-
sive orchardlst sells his fruit for a
nominal figure, whenever he has any
TO sell, which Is not often, and is con-
tinnally complaining because his or
chard doesn't pay" 1t does pay for
all the labor bestowed upon 1t, but 1t
win not pay for what 1t does not re-
ceive.
Any kind of fruit tree Is an enor>
mous feeder IL 1t produces any amount
of fruit. Who can reasonably expect
to receive barrel upon barrel from any
given tree. year after year, when no
thing is fed to itg AS well might the
owner expect to work a week on the
memory of Sunday dinner.
Trees should be fed, therefore, and
literally, too, IL large crops Of fine fruit
are expected from them.
The old-fashioned way OF crowding
trees In the space devoted TO orchard
purposes is still persisted in, notwith-
standing the teachings Of nature to the
contrary. Trees are crowded in the
rows like dodgers in tenement house,
and the results are as disastrous in
one case as in the other. Trees, like
human beings, need air and light. They
must have these or their lives do NOT
reach three score years and ten. Fruit
will not grow in the shade. and 1t is
beyond the power of any man to cause
1t TO do so.
'Tis true when trees are young, g
proper space seems unreasonably large
there seems to be q waste, but there
really is none. 1t Is questionable il
Planting small crops, like strawberries,
melons, tomatoes, etc, is advisable,
even in the earlier stages of growth,
and 1t certainly is not unless a liberal
quantity of some proper fertilizer Is
appEed AS the tree enlarges and
reaches out its arm-like branches, 1t
asks for more food; it also asks that
Gods sunlight may be permitted to
kiss Ii from topmost branch TO root,
and unless this request Is granted ii
shoots skywar6, bearing no fruit ex-
cept upon its highest branches, and
becomes liable TO be attacked by nu-
merous diseases.
Who has not noticed that tree,
standing solitary and alone, always
bears a liberal quantity of fruit? Who
has not noticed that such trees are in
variab,y healthy? Who has not re-
marked that if the entire orchard was
like this or that solitary tree, there
would he money in frult-growing
Must so plain lesson be unheeded
Can we not learn so simple lesson
without paying the immense price we
do for tuition? The number of trees
upon a given area does not determine
the value of the orchard. If they are
in excess Of the proper number, they
certainly are comparatively, Of little
worth.
One argument used by those who
favor close planting Is that the shade
thereby produced kills the grass and
weeds which would steal the life-blood
Of the tree. This argument is born of
pure laZness, and II carried into ef-
feet, as 1t too often is. the tree is de-
prived of its means of thrift, that its
loafing owner may not blister his hands
or burn his neck In his efforts to keep
grass and weeds from choking his
trees.
In raising fruit trees for profit, the
following general principles should not
be overlooked 1. Effective drainage;
2. Thorough preparation; 3. Liberal
fertilization; 4. Procuring best varie-
ties; :. Intelligent cultivation; and
each VIII afford the owner a theme
for constant study.
That fruit growing, as now prac-
tieed. is non-pay.ng, we are ready to
admit; that it may be made Immensely
profitable, we confidently assert. To
attain this desired object something
must be done besides blindly treading
In the footsteps of old ways and ex-
pectng nature to perform impossible
lties.
The whole Southern country can be
made vast fruit-ield. Any and every
man may literally "sit under his own
vine and fig tree" Millions can be an
nually added to our material wealth.
There need be no poverty in such a
country, and there will be none in the
near future. when our almost bound
less resources are more fully developed.