The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-03-28
HORTICULTURE
SRAsoNABLR hints FOR FRUIT
GROWERS.

Tree Planting: Best Methsds and Besi
Locations--Rest Varieties Of Apples
Etc.
Correspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
The proper season for planting fruit
trees is now nearly past for the season.
suppose there are many persons who
like myself have been waiting for good
weather, and have trees yet implanted.
II so, / would say that I should prefer
to wait until the buds are nearly ready
to burst out rather than plant them in
the mud, or where the ground is not In
good condition. Those yet having
trees on hand to plant should keep
them we'll hilled in on the north side
of q house or board fence.
SELECTION OF A PLACE TO PLANT AN
ORCHARD.
II possible, select a place that will
not erode or wash, protected On north
or west with an open or porous sub
soil. The land. if possible, should be
rich. Dies should be dug at least two
feet deep and fully as wide-a yard
deep and a yard wide is not too much.
A place with a tough pipe clay under
meath should be avoided; a deep and
large hole in such land only holds the
more water and the trees will be short
lived.
THE DISTANCE FOR APPLE TREES
will depend upon the variety. Those
that grow to a colossal size should be
set 80 or 40 feet distant each way 20
to 25 feet for those of smaller growth.
Peach trees should not be set
than 10 to Is feet from each other;
pears about the distance Of apples;
cherries of the Morello varieties should
be set Is to 20 feet distant from each
other in rich, uncultiveted land. Most
varieties Of Heart cherry, trees grow
large and it does not injure them to
cultivate the soil. Pear trees should
be set in a good soil, and when they
begin to btar should no longer be cul
tiVated, as cultivation Of the soil pro
duces too great a growth Of wood, and
pear blight g sues.
The reason why cherry trees OF the
Morello varieties should not be cult
waited is, that the roots grow so near
the surface that they are broken by
the pillow. In selecting trees for plant
ing choose only those with good roots
that have been carefully taken up
without breaking or bruising, trees free
from the aphis or root louise, which
shows its presence by a white woody
deposit.
The holes may be dug at almost any
time and filled in with the surface soil.
Mold from the fence corners or the
woods should be dumped along at con
venient distances. Take a good day,
just such a n as you would take for
gard eRing. Get a large bucket or small
tub, fill it half full with fresh cow ma
nure, then fill up with water, and with
a stick stir to a batter. Take your
tree in hand, freshly trim the roots,
giving them an upward and outward
slope. Dip the roots into the bucket Of
batter, leaving IN them as much as
will adhere. Set the tree in the hole,
spread out the roots upon the carefully
pulverized soil and carefully sprinkle
the mold over them, two or three
inches deep. Then lift the tree gently
up and down about one half to one inch
high two or three times 80 as to let the
soil or mold get between the roots,
then fill up with mold or rich surface
soil. Then with your foot gently press
the earth around the tree. Cant the
tree a little to the direction from
whence come the hardest winds Cn
my section it is the southwest), fill up
until the tree is but little deeper than
it grew in the nursery.
Most apple trees should be cut back
to from 8 to 4 feet in height, owing to
the nature Of the variety set. Some
being inclined to lift their limbs up
ward while others droop their limbs to
the ground. Peach trees should be cut
back to two or three feet in height,