The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-24
THE YOUNG ORCHARD

Let US consider a young orchard
such as may be considered a CONNER
cial orchard, the fruit of which is tc
be shipped to some market, either as
choice apples or canned or evaporated
| apples. Let us select our soil, our
trees, and the kinds, looking after the
young things for a few years; and by
that time others can go and take care
of the fruit. Go into any portion OF
this state, and Notwithstanding the
conditions, you will find fine orchards
But the speakers ideal place to plant
young orchard would be upon high
ground, with natural drainage, sloping
to the south or southeast. Under these
circumstances we should expect to find
good, strong, moist soil upon a granite
foundation that would furnish fine
drainage. There are many farms thus
located, and so long as they can be
purchased at low prices, it is doubtful
If it will pay 10 select such land as will
require a great expenditure of time
and cash to drain.
Having made our selection of the
farm, the next consideration is Where
shall we place our trees? We are GO
ing to build up an orchard, and it will
require the best field. If you can turn
over the sod, and keep it so for the
first few years, using the cultivator Of
ten, giving the young trees as good
care as your neighbor does his corn,
you may at least expect as good re-
turns. If you find it best not to do
this, stake your field off two rods each
way, thus securing a straight row. Dig
around each stake d hole from two to
four feet across, down through the
soil, leaving the bottom well stirred
up with the spade. Two persons can
do the work at much better advantage
than one. The turf is cut in circle
around the stake, quartered and re-
moved to one side; the soil is always
placed upon the upper side, as it can
be worked into the hole easier. Take
homegrown trees and remove them to
their new quarters at once. Two-year-
old trees, and even older, should be
taken. All damaged roots are removed
and if any have been wrenched off we
make a clean-cut wound of it. The
rootlets take up the plant food, and
with a good, clean cut the fine roots
start out very quickly, and begin their
labors. Do not be afraid of using the
knife in pruning the top.
In tranSplanting q tree, one should
hold it in place while the other works
in the first few holes full of the fine
sand. Place the tree an inch or two
deeper than it stood in the TOW. and
lean it toward the south. so as to pre-
vent sun-scald. In filling in the soil,
place the roots much the same as they
were when the tree was in the nursery
row; tread the earth down solid, for
roots do not grow or thrive on air.
Fertilizers should be in the shape OF
fine, ground bone and muriate of pot
ash, 300 pounds of the former to 100
pounds of the latter per acre, well
mixed. Never use any form OF barn
manure; Just so sure as you do, it will
burn the roots and your tree will re-
ceive a bad check. The last few SHOW
els of the soil should remain; the turfs
turned upside down and well tramped
down, then the remaining dirt cleaned
up without tramping. Place mulching
around the tree; it keeps the soil damp,
loose and fresh, free from weeds and
grass. unlocking the plant food through
its action much the same as we do with
the cultivator. Where the trees are eX-
posed to high winds. stake them up.
Trees near fences where the snow may
drift should be well protected by stakes