The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-03

when to Plant Orchard Trees.


It used to be the rule to plant all trees
in the spring, and to those not much in
the way of tree planting it is still believ
ed to be the best time, but those actually
engaged in the business know that early
fall is an excellent time for the purpose,
says Joseph Meehan in Practical Farmer.
Not only does it appear 10 be the best
time for the trees, but there is to be con-
sidered that early fail is a period of much
more leisure to the farmer than in spring.
There will always be many who
will continue to plant in spring.
Winter is a dreary time to many, and
when spring comes garden work comes
uppermoSt in their thoughts and tree
planting follows with other garden work.
But, thinking of the run of orchard trees
early fall Is better for the trees than
spring. Most every one that has had ex-
perience knows that spring planted fruit
trees rarely make much growth the first
season. The reason is because the heat of
spring and summer comes on to them be-
fore they have got a good roothold. In
many cases the trial is so severe that the
trees die in summer after having shot out
fairly in spring. Early fall planting usu-
ally results in the reverse of this. What
is meant by early fall is about a month
i.
With us in this part of Pennsylvania this
time is about the close of September. and
not later than the first week in October
Trees planted at an early time like this
must have their leaves taken off stripped
off if they will come, cut off if they are
too persistent to strip. Apples, pears,
plums and cherries are certainly the bet
ter planted at this time, but 1 think in
my own case 1 would let the peaches be
till spring, for the reason that winter
seems to damage newly set peach trees.
But the other trees mentioned should
be planted. Usually at the time mention
ed the soil is quite dry and warm. This Is
no hindrance whatever; rather an ad-
vantage; as will be seen. The leaves
should be taken from the trees as sug-
gested and proper sized holes dug, seeing
to 1t that good soil will surround the
roots. The soil being dry can be broken
up finely and gotten in well around the
roots. This soil should be tramped or
pounded in around the roots until COM
pacted as closely as possible. Then when
the hole is nearly full pour in enough
water to well saturate the soil. When
this has soaked away the hole should be
filled up level. Trees planted this way
find their roots in soil warm and moist
and almost al once commence to make
new roots. They are firmly established
before winter comes, and when spring re-
tulAS tHey MAKE nice CROWN, almost
the equal of trees never moved, and very
much better than those set in spring
have known of orchards set out in Sep
TENDER, when the ground was hot as well
as the air, and the soil was dry, and GER
tainly trees could not have done better
than these did This planting in early fall
means the gain of season over that of
spring, as the spring planted ones make
such a slender growth the first summer.
All kinds of small fruits could be planted
at the same time with equal success.
Those who have not planted trees in early
fall and make trial of 1t now, will be
pleased with the result when the time
comes for the foliage to expand in the
sDriDg