San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-12-24
The ORCHARD.
A Few Interesting Hints TO the
Uninitiated.
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOP
MENT OF AN ORCHARD
ELUCIDATED
The Soil and Climate Well Adapt
ed to the Growth of Fruits
aud Berries.
Published Especially for the Bene'
fit of the Thrifty, Progressive
Farmers of BeXar County,
IBy III. III. Hillyer.


Every home builder in Bexar
county should set out an orchard
and learn to do it we'll and care for
it properly. A little education on
the subject is an essential to sue
cess A book costing one or two
dollars and an agricultural journal
will furnish this, cheap outfit that
may become the best investment Of
your life.
Kinds of fruit-It has been prov
Ell beyond a doubt that Bexar cour-
ty is the home of almost every va
riety of peach or plum. Dewber-
ries and blackberries do well here
are a sure crop, bear heavily, re-
quiring but little care or culture; a
few varities of apples grow and fruit
do we'll if kept free from the borers,
will live a long time and give a
good return for their care and cul
ture.
Several varieties of pears grow
and do we'll here and may be de,
pended on as certain crop. They
are a great luxury and should be
largely planted in every orchard.
Many varieties Of grapes do well
also, bear almost every year, yield
heartily, and splendid quality o
fruit. No family should be with
out a few vines, such as suits his
locality and soil. Selection Of va
rieties is of prime Importance, and
the best nurseries to buy from, also
selection of a site for an orchard
An orchard or garden should be 10
Gated close by and convenient tc
the dwelling, and hence it should
be built with view to orchard
and garden. Orchards should have
moderately deep soil and clay sub
soil. Good orchards can be grown
in black or sandy soil, with prefer
ence to the latter, but if the soil be
annually enriched with straw Oh
stable litter or crops grown on them
to be cut and plowed i'll the soil will
in a few years become bright, loose,
and pliable, and this decaying veg
etable matter will be the best posi-
bic fertalizer.
Do not have as a gift trees grown
outside of Texas. If you would
succeed buy your trees from the
nursery nearest you, and grow in
similar soil and climate. The nur-
sery man has spent many years
testing the variety doing best III
this section, and can give you val,
liable aid in selecting varieties suit,
able to your surroundings. If he
sells you trees he is interested III
their giving entire satisfaction,
hence he will be your best friend
and adviser. Trust him.
Planting-If possible your or
chard should be fenced in, the
ground deeply broken and thor
oughly pulverized. Trees should
by all means be planted in the fall
lust as soon after the first killing
frost as possible, the sooner the bet,
ter. This gives them time to send
out their rootlets so as to push a
strong spring and summer growth
They should be planted in squares,
each kind being grouped together,
so as to help fertilize one another
MANY trees are deficient in pollen
and hence poor bearers. The Wild
Goose and Mariana plums and
Bartlett pears are peculiarly so, and
accident of growth and soil may
thus affect any tree, and hence 1t Is
important to group them in squares
as near as may be. Close planting
IS best in rich soil aud hot climate,
as the shading Of the soil is great
protection against our enemies, the
driving winds and the burning sun.
shine. Orchards should be planted
on the highest ground as they are
thus far less apt to be injured by
spring frosts thar they would be i
planted in the valleys. Pears
grapes and bladKberries love low
places and rich, tnoist soil
z. Peaches. apple 49, should