Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-10-19
GIVE TREES PLENTY OF ROOM
Old orehsrdist Wisely says Too
ciosc Planting 10 Most General
and Serious Mistake.

/ 80 NANpR kA@AfAAf1 D'eNN1 Wv ~
the most general and most serious
mistake made. IL ie really a mat
| ter of wonder how man orchard
/ planters fall 10 realize how large the
trees they set out win become, and
/ II well cared for they will get 20
be larger than tho most OF us think,
writes Prof. II. e. Van Deman, IN
Green's Fruit Grower. There IL
scarcely bearing orchard 70 be
found that 10 not somewhat crowd
cd. The aim Is 70 get the fun ben
Gift Of all the land on which Il
stands, and this IL entirely proper,
but IL can DO done without crowd
ing. Fruit trees need plenty OF
! light on all sides and throughout
their tops. And their roots need
| plenty of room In the ground 70
feed as truly as do the branches,
leaves mad fruit need sunlight In
abundance. The orchnrdist must
have from the start clear under
standing OF what room each kind OF
fruit tree needs at maturity and
plant accordingly, or he VIII have
trouble In future years. There are
differences In this respect In the
character Of the different species and
also bctweeu some varieties Of the
same species. This all requires ex
port knowledge and this Is not easl-
ly impressed upon the mind by read
ing. Il usually requires years Of
experience. But reading the recorc
cd experiences Of others may gut
> the right conclusions.
Distance TO Plant.
II / had 10 give one definite dis
lance apart TO plant trees OF all the
orchard fruits / would say 70 feet.
ms would include the plan OF US
x filters or temporary trees BE-
tween the permanent ones, for this
IS lar too close for many kinds OF
trees at maturity, and before that
time as well. / do not mean that
this should be universal. but Tor
the greater proportion Of trees ana
N most soils and climates IL is
about right. | used TO think AM
ADVISE planting 20 feet apart, bul
experience and observation have
changed my views to the greater dis
ance. For an apple orchard, up
TO the time when thinning out the
lrees must begin, 20 feet apart Is
Just right and | say this for all sec
lions Of the country, east and west
after critically looking over many
orchards OF all bearing ages, from
New England and Virginia to British
Columbia and California In recent
years.
Common Mistakes.
Scattered all over the country are
thousands OF orchards that have been
planted too closely, and what they
need 10 thinning out to give them
room nj the air for the foliage and
room In the soil for the roots. Hard
8 It may seem TO deliberately cut
out half the trees in bearing or
chard II Is not often the most SEN
sible thing TO do. Indeed II is often
the rankest OF folly not 10 do ii. for
to allow trees 20 all be injured is
certain folly and to save part Is
wisdom. The net return Is the thing
20 look at. More good fruit can
DO grown on a small number Oh
trees that have a good chance and
Is worth more than larger amount
of poor fruit. And there are many
orchard trees that have been set TOO
far apart, say 80 feet, for profitable
occupation OF the ground for the first
10 or is years, and after that the
are too close. Thsi is a most com
mon dilemma, and there IL almost no
economical and practical remedy, es-
peclally II the trees were set by any
but the simple. square method. Re
mo ing each alternate diagonal row
will remedy the evil. But to avoid |
the evil consequences OF bad plan |
ming and have the entire soil area
used all along is the pur- /
pose OF this editorial.