The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-03-29
Planting an Orchard.

1t may be that some of tile readers
of these notes are planning TO put out
an orchard this spring large or small,
as the case may he. \ 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 he rev nnd should be secured
on the recommendation OF your nearest
reliable nursery man When stock Is
bought from Il distant firm or Of an
itinerunt peddler whose location Is un
known, there Is danger that trees may
prove not only unsuitcd to your lati
tudc, but also untrue to name. Almost
field crop will he found suitable for
orchard purposes The locntion is n
natter of secondary Importance, al
though it is usually considered that
northeast slope Is preferable for the
purpose. The writer has found that Il
belt of timber sllirting his orchard on
the west and south has served as
splendid wind break and been the
means Of saving II 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 Il large One-an acre
or more-the hard work of planting
may he greatly lightcncd by blowing
of furrowS of Il 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. IL they
are set 50 as to form rows east aud
west the cultivation of the orchard
for the first few years is greatly IA
cilitated The trees should he planted
from twenty-five to thirtytlve feet
apart each wtty, 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
tion of the afternoon.
During an experience covering sew
era years we have found that the
greatest source of danger to the Or
chard and particularly to young trees
il the root borer. The beetle lays its
eggs on the trunk of the tree just
above the surface of the ground dur
Inn In., ,,I,. a
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 aud early in the third take
an upward course emerging from the
tree during the latter part of May and
June at Il point three or four inches |
above the ground through Il perfectly |
round hole about an eighth of an inch |
In diameter ii the bOrer is not dis |
covered because o. grass or earth |
about the trunk, the fate of the tree is |
sealed. Three bOrerS in a |
fge-year-old tree will Kill it outright |
III three years or will ut least weaken |
1t so it becomes the inevitable victim |
OF the first heavy wndstorm that |
strikes it, While washes of different |
kinds are good in their way, we have |
found nothing so sure as Il close eX- |
animation OF each tree With 4 sharp |
juckknife A careful scraping of The |
from The trunk 10 an inch or !
more below The surface will show al |
once il borerS are nt work. II the |
bark shows green and firm all the way |
round and there are no evidences OF |
the sawduSt-like eNcreta. ii is pretty |
conclusive proof that there are no bor- |
ars at work. If found, they should he |
rut out and killed. A sharpened slen- |
der twig will often reach them il they |
are bedded deep in the bark. Grass |
and weeds should be kept hoed from
the trunks of the trees, so as to leave
I clean spot about two feet in diam
eter.
For the first five years and longer. If |
he trees do not interfere, crops should
De grown among the trees-bcans. corn
Dr other crops that will not seriously |
rob the soil. yet which will insure
cultivation At eight or nine |
years Il is well to put the orchard into
dover or alfalfa or other nitrOgenOus |
,over crop. Even under these circum-
stances it should be plowed every third
or fourth year to kill ont the blue
grass which Is sure TO creep in. The
asst crop or growth of the season
should be allowed TO stand TO serve as
| catch for the snow, which will pro-
ect the roots of the trees. AS winter
,omes on precautions must he taken TO
protect the trees from the mice and
'abbits, wire screening or wood shields
being most frequently used. Keep all
stock out OF the orchard