The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-05-12
DRY FARM ORCHARD
Many Failures in Planting Not
Fault OF the Climate.
Every Farmer Can Have His Fruit
Trees, as They viii Grow Where
Almost Nothing Else VIII Be-
cause Roots Go Deep.

AFTER preparing the grOunu anu DC
curing enough moisture to carry the
trees through any drought that comes,
the next operation is to secure GOOD
trees and then plant them properly.
Many failures in planting are often
credited to the climate when they
should properly be ascribed to tie
nurseryman, writes f. l.. Parsons in
Ranch and Range. The best trees to
plant are those that can pass the
warm spells in winter without start
ing the sap. The principal point In
planting a tree Is to make a good
earth connection by very thoroughly
tamping the ground above and around
the roots. A tree tamped solid will
leaf out a week earlier or even a
month earlier than tree planted In
loose earth. Damp earth should first
be thrown into the hole and the roots
pressed down into It. then it should
be gradually filled up and tamped solid
as you go, leaving two or three inches
of loose dirt on the surface.
The trees should be planted about
four to six inches deeper than they
were in the nursery. You can tell
this by the mark on the trunk and the
graft or knob where it was budded
should be well underground-at least
four inches. Then II the tree should
accidentally die the sprouts will come
most likely from above the graft and
will be of the same nature as the
tree. while those that come from be-
low Il will be wild stock of no value.
At least two-thirds Of the top of
every tree should be cut off when
planting in order that the top may
balance the root.
When the trees are received from
the nursery they should be immediate
ly heeled in, In moist dirt, and the
tops sprinkled in order to soak up and
recuperate.
The roots should never be allowed
TO become dry when planting and no
water need be used in the hole ex.
cept in very dry weather.
AS soon as planted cultivation
warns the soil and brings them into
leaf very quickly. and II after proper
treatment they hang fire they have
been improperly handled before ship
ment.
Shade trees should be treated in
the same manner and never planted
in holes in the hard ground.
The sour, or pie, cherries are very
hardy and yield heavily and where
there Is no other orchard handy the
country people will come so miles to
get them and do their own picking.
The varieties that we especially ia.
vor are the Montmorency and the
Morello. Six-year-old trees planted
IS to 20 feet apart are often good for
crate and half or even two crates
of cherries in a good season.
Plums should be planted 20 feet
apart and like all other fruit trees
to shade the trunk.
Apple trees do we'll with plenty OF
room. Forty feet is recommended
and nothing should ever be planted
between trees in the dry orchard. We
raise the Ben Davis, Yellow Transpar
ent, Duchess. Rome Beauty. Jonathan
Stayman-Winesap. Wealthy and Nc
Mahon. while Italian Prune, German
Prune and Shippers Pride seem to be
the hardest plums.
No mistake can be made in plant
ing small fruits, for gooseberries, cur
rants. grapes and raspberries grow
wild at almost any altitude. Give
them ten feet and cultivate thorough.
ly and you will have no trouble.
Every dry farmer can have his frui,
and shade trees and make for himself
beautiful home IL he has a mind to
Trees will grow where almost
nothing else will, for their roots &c
deep and get all the moisture that
goes in.
Plenty of good deep soil, however
is necessity, six feet at least. The
exposure is not so important.
Every young tree must be protected
from rabbits which like to gnaw the
bark. Buy a roll of mosquito wire
screen two feet wide. This makes
pieces two feet by six inches. Take
each piece and roll 1t round a broom
stick. then snap 1t on the tree, this
will cost a little over cent tree
and will last until they are too old fol
the rabbits to touch them.
The weeds should all be kept out
and the orchard thoroughly cultivated
throughout the season and even once
or twice in winter will help hold the
moisture and destroy all insects tha,
hibernate in the ground.
A wild plum orchard can be OBJ
tanned by planting the seeds in tn,
fall, two or three where the tree 1!
to be and then thinning to one wher
they come up. They will bear in abou
three or four wears