The new enterprise., 1905-06-01
PLANTING TREES.

1t is mistake TO consider fruit trees
capable Of doing well in poor soil. Or
chardlsts should bear in mind that
trees are plants or vegetables, the
same as potatoes or caGbages, ana
that they require good soil, good To-
cation, good drainage, and good sup
plies of plant food at every stage of
their growth. Many a farmer, who
overmanures his garden will UNDER
manure his orchard
When you plant trees, put the soil
in as good condition as though you
were about to plant corn, wheat, po-
tatoes or truck. This means, plOw
several times, using the sub-soiler at
the second turning of -he soil. The
Oftener you pillow, the finer you will
make your soil, and the better your
trees will start and grow. If the land
to be turned into an orchard has been
run down in fertility by cropping to
various lines, fertilize Freely. This
You can do by plOwing under clover
0r by scattering thoroughly rotted barn
manure. The PREF aration Of the soil
is considerably more than half the
orchard battle.
The young trees should be carefully
eEamined. All broken and split roots
should be cut Off, and the tops should
be reduced in proportion to the re.
moved roOtage. If this be overlooked,
the trees will be unbalanced. The
branches should be redr 'ed by prun-
ing, so that the roots ara not drawn
on too heavily while they are taking
their hold on the soil. Leave no bruised
limbs or roots.
The holes in which trees are set
should be Of good size, so that all the
roots may be spread out 10 their full
length and in their natural position,
Wet the dirt after the roots are COW
cred. The top layer Of dirt should be
well tramped down in order to bring
the roots and rootlets into close con-
tact in every part with the soil. This
will enable the roots to begin to feed
at once.
In these plain essentials many would
be orchardists err wonderfully, Five
years ago a neighbor bought one hun
dred apple trees and turned them over
to a couple of hired men to set out.
The trees nearly all died. The buyer
called down the seller. The seller
said he sent first class trees, and he
refused to replace the dead ones un-
Ill he had examined them. He asked
me to accompany him to the failed
orchard.
We soon found out all that was
necessary to fix the fault. In the first
place, the orchard was an unbroken
old pasture, exhausted to the last de-
gree. The soil was very acid, The
hired men had simply dug holes in
the sod to receive the trees. In order
to save muscular labor they dug very
small holes, and then rolled up the
roots Of the trees in balls to fit the
holes.
There was no mAnurlng. There was
no pruning Of tops or roots, No broken
or bruised wood was cut Off. The
trees just as they were lifted out of
the nursery ground were jammed into
the proposed orchard ground One re-
suit only was possible. As dead tree
after dead tree was lifted cut, the cause
Of its death was revealed.
The nurseryman refused to make
good, and the farmer had to confess
that the nurseryman was not in fault.
have seen many similar cases, and
in each case the failure of the trees
was unjustly laid to the nurseryman.
The one who would make an orchard
grow must obey and follow the laws
Of nature and the rules Of experience.
New York Farmer.
fTo Tutor a Tootar IN Toot