Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-05-16
PLANTING AN ORCHARD.

It may be that some of the readers
of these notes are planning to put out
an orchard this spring, large or small,
as the case may be- A few suggestions
gained from practical experience may
be of assistance In doing the work so
as to secure In measure satisfactory
results First, the varieties planted
should be few and should be secured
on the recommendation of your nearest
reliable nurseryman. When stock is
bought from a distant firm or of an
itinerant peddler whose location is un-
known, there is danger that trees may
prove not only unsuited to your lati-
tude, but also untrue to name. Almost
any soil that will produce an abundant
field crop will be found suitable for
orchard purposes. The location is
matter of secondary Importance, al
though it is usually considered that
northeast slope is preferable for the
purpose. The writer has found that
belt of timber skirting his orchard on
the west and south has served as a
splendid wind break and been the
means Of saving a large amount of
fruit that would otherwise have been
blown from the trees. The ground
should be put into good condition be-
fore the trees are planted. and if the
orchard plan is a large One-an acre
or more-the hard work Of planting
may be greatly lightened by blowing
Of burrows of good depth in which
the trees may be planted. They should
be set in rows north and south, which
provides protection from the sun when
they have attained any size. If they
are set so as to form rows east and
west the cultivation of the orchard
for the first few years is greatly ia
cilitated. The trees should be planted
from twenty-five to thirty-f1ve feet
apart each way, depending somewhat
upon the variety, and be set in the
earth from five to six inches lower than
they stood in the nursery and should
tilt slightly to the southwest, the OBJ
ject of this being to have the tree shade
Its own trunk during the hottest por-
ton Of the afternoon.
During an experience covering sew
eral years we have found that the
greatest source Of danger to the or
chard and particularly to young trees
Is the root borer The beetle lays Its
eggs on the trunk of the tree just
above the surface of the ground dur
ing May and early June, and these
hatch during the month following the
baby borers being so small as to be al
most invisible. They work In the tree
near the place of entrance the first
season, bore down and to one side the
second year and early in the third take
an upward course, emerging from the
tree during the latter part Of May and
June at a point three or four inches
above the ground through perfectly
round hole about an eighth of an inch
in diameter. If the borer is not dis
covered because of grass or earth
about the trunk, the fate Of the tree Is
practically sealed Three borers in
five-year-old tree will kill it outright
In three years or will at least weaken
ii so 1t becomes the inevitable victim
of the first heavy windstorm that
strikes 1t. While washes of different
kinds are good in their way, we have
found nothing SO sure as close ex-
animation of each tree with sharp
jackknife. A careful scraping Of the
earth from the trunk to an inch or
more below the surface will show at
once If borers are at work. If the
bark shows green and firm all the way
round and there are no evidences OF
the sawdust-like excreta, 1t Is pretty
conclusive proof that there are no bor-
ers at work. If found, they should be
cut out and killed. A sharpened slen-
der twig will often reach them If they
are bedded deep In the bark. Grass
and weeds should be kept hoed from
the trunks of the trees, SO as to leave
a clean spot about two feet in diam
eter.
For the first five years and longer, If
the trees do not interfere, crops should
be grown among the trees-beans, corn
or other crops that will not seriously
rob the soil, yet which will insure a
thorough cultivation. At eight or nine
years 1t is well to put the orchard into
clover or alfalfa or other heterogeneous
cover crop. Even under these circum-
stances 1t should be plowed every third
or fourth year to kill out the blue
grass which is sure to creep in. The
last crop or growth of the season
should be allowed to stand to serve as
a catch for the snow, which will pro-
tect the roots of the trees. AS winter
comes on precautions must be taken to
protect the trees from the mice and
rabbits, wire screening or wood shields
being most frequently used. Keep all
stock out of the orchard.