Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-12-28
PLANTING AND CARE
OF ORCHARDS
BY John U. Mcpherson, Idaho State
Horticultural Inspector.
Oregon Short Line, December
1911. Demonstration Train.

In selecting land for an orchard
site. there are three things that
should be taken into confederation
the lay OF the land, drainage, and
depth OF soil. Land should not only
be selected which will give good soil
drainage, but air drainage should
also be taken into consideration It
Is a well known fact that cold air
always settles In low places, and the
planting OF orchards In such places
should be avoided, inasmuch as they
are more susceptible to frosts. It
Is also very important that land
selected for horticultural purposes
should be deep and well-drained
soil. 30 that at no time will water
be- allowed to stand around the trees,
and the soil should be OF good depth
so the trees will have ample room
to develop their root system. The
best results cannot be attained by
planting on shallow soil. Trees plant
ed on shallow soils are bound to be
surface feeders and will not stand
drought. and will require more wat
er and more frequent irrigation than
trees planted on deeper soil.
The varieties of apples to be plant
ed in any section should be governed
great deal by the length of the
growing season and the elevation at
which they are to be planted. Some
sections have a longer growing sea
son than others. and in selecting
commercial varieties to be planted,
the length of the growing season
should be taken into consideration.
The planter should study his own
locality, and the conditions existing
there before selecting his varieties.
Varieties should be selected so that
the fruit will reach a good size, and
have good color and texture in the
given number of months which will
be the growing season in that sec
ton. The growing of fruit on the
western slope has reached such a
stage that no planter can afford to
plant any fruit other than the COM
merclal varieties, and the fewer
number Of varieties that are planted |
in any one section, the better for
the grower when the fruit comes in !
to bearing, as too many varieties are
now raised on the western slope
which have no commercial value and
are not of good keeping quality.
There is a great deal of difference
in the opinions of various horticultur-
lists, on the western slope as to |;
the age of trees used in planting, but
the best results have been attained
by the planting of one year old, we'll
developed trees. AS general rule,
stock from four to six feet with a
good top and root is used. and in
such nursery stock, 1t is
well 70 buy from some reliable nurs- 1
eryman as near home as possible. In
this way, the planter can see just {
what lie is buying. Spring planting t
IS generally practiced in Idaho. al
hough some fall planting is done.
In buying trees for fall planting, the S
planter should be certain that the {
rees are well matured before pur- +
'hasing. In some cases. the nursery o
nan will strip the trees of their 4
caves before selling them to the f,
'lanter Such trees are worthless a
md should not be planted as it is c
impossible to form low-headed tree y
rom such stock Il
The planting in the spring is be- t
un just as soon as the spring freez- Il
S are over, and the soil is dried il
at so that it is mellow when hand b,
ID. As a general rule. the apple in
'ees are planted from thirty to pr
lirty-three feet apart. This dis st
lnce gives them ample room to
ntld up good root system, and pc
nple soil from which to feed up in
In. planting, the holes are dug about a
q. The first s to 10 inches of the tn
y soll is placed In one pile by it. st'
III and the subsoil in another. The FRI
ee is placed in the hole at about ful
e same depth, or possibly lit. tn
, deeper than when it grew in the pr
irsery. The top soil is then placed thu
the hole first and is well packed be-
around the roots. by using some gr'
ant instrument that viii not bruise am
e roots. AS soon as the top soil chi
placed In the hole a quantity of car
tier should be run in. and the sta
res well settled by slightly pulling
up and down while the water is
king away. AS soon as this is
ne, the sub-soil should then be ~
led and Mnl tnrn nnd In The hnln /