Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1906-07-20
PLANTING APPLES.
Rough Land and Cedar Bouoh
Mulch Well,

the ridges, the breaks, where brush
and stones vie with each other for
first and best places. There we find
hardy, long lived apple trees spread
ing their fruit bearing branches. 1t
Is said Of some of these hill lands
that they are so steep and 70 rough
that you 'must lead a horse ten
miles to find a place to wallow."
In the South we have often been
taught to avoid such rough land be-
cause the crops failed upon them
or the trees were short liyed--or the
land soon washed away when set to
fruit of any kind. Yet some of the
finest apple trees of Arkansas, Okla
bona and Texas are found on Just
such rough and rocky land. In many
cases no pillow has touched the land
IN YEA Wcol's, grass and saplngs
have come in ana led to Gust the
cd apple trees, but these have
showed themselves true Americans
and have refused to 90.
The editor OF the Rural New York
err has planted an orchard amid such
unfavorable surroundings as those
described and has experimental in
the matter of letting the trees care
for themselves to the extent of put
ting no plows into this rough land
grubs and brush only being cleared
away and root pruntd trees set to
fight for their lives. He reports a
surprising success with this orchard
and is now advising others to go and
do likewise. \ subscriber asked him
recently about planting steep hill
side to an orchard. The land is de-
scribcd as runout clay--a good
brick clay" To this inquiry for in
formation about hard conditions, Ed
itor Collingwood makes a most sig
niiicant reply:
eve can only state what we shall
DO on similar land this spring. We
have Just cut the brush and small
trees off. Rows are marked out 30
1cet apart. This distance is taken
because the field joins another in
which are peach. trees planted 16
feet each way. We shall put tie APP
pie rows in line. skipping one row of
peaches. The trees will stand 80 feet
apart in the row. Stakes are set
now so as to be all ready for plant
Ing when the trees come. The trees
will be cut>!ack top and root the
latter so as to go into a hole little
over one foot in diameter. When
ever possible about three burrows
With a light pIow are turned to the
trees on either side, and this smooth
ed down with cultivator and hoe. II
We had manure we would throw 1t
around the trec-rot close up to the
trunk-but leaving about foot of
cleared space around the tree. Tins
can be kept clean by scratching 1t
over with hoe or rake, or a dust OF
lime over it will help. Weeds,
grass. trash or brush can be put
around the trees. We use young ce-
dars for this purpose. If you want
to force the growth use a quantity
OF fertilizer scattered around the
trees.
'While we b. ieve that b. ,er
growth can be obtained by blowing
and fitting the land beforehand it is
not absolutely necessary to do so. We
know that trees planted i'll sod and
either well mulched or plowcd for a
narrow strip on the sides of the row,
will make fair growth of strong,
solid wood. They will not be as
large as the cultivated trees, but they
will make a low, spreading head,
come into bearing earlier and give
fair crops of solid, high-colored fruit
At least that is our experience on
rough land, and we would not go to
the expense of fitting such land for
the requirements of thorough cul-
ture."
We have not found any such
great faith in sod-culture-no, not
in Texas. What does it mean: VIII
# be true that the lands which the
fruit grower has rejected shall be-
come valuable assets in the growth
of fruit trees Of all sorts. Have our
readers ever tried caring for their or