The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-20
GETTING A FRUIT
ORCHARD READY

cHleL addresses DetOre the ITl-SLdCe
Grain Growers convention this after
noon.
The afternoon session was devoted
to the subject of horticulture and was
in charge Of the North Dakota Horti-
cultural society. Mr.. Chinberg's sub
ject was Getting a Fruit Orchard
Started. This speaker has frequently
been heard at the Grain Growers
conventions before and his papers are
always Of great interest. His address
this year will be of much value to all
orchardists. In part he said:
apple RAGING in this part Of the
northwest is no longer a dream. but
6, reality. A few short years ago the
man who planted a few fruit trees
was as a general rule laughed at and
the one that planted an orchard was
called foolish or worse, but things are
different now. At the present time
you can 20 through Minnesota and
the Dakotas and find orchard after or
chard. not a few trees but hundreds
of trees clear up to the Canadian line.
In Pembina county you can find sew
eral as fine orchards as ever grew out
doors n they are growing large
crops of fruit from them every year.
Richland county alone produced sew
cral thousand bushels of fruit last
summer and what one man can do
another man can also, with the right
kind Of care.
I'm planting an orchard the first
thing to take into consideration is the
location, then the preparation OF the
ground, next the varieties to plant,
the planting and then the subsequent
are. In laying out the orchard a
piece of ground should be selected
that Is well drained. Plant a good
shelter on TIE Weet and south, d few
shelter ire IS On the north is all right
also, but leave the east open SO as to
allow a good circulation of air. Plant
your shelter trees far enough out 80
that they will hold the snow back. If
they are too close tho snow will pile
in and break down the fruit trees. In
preparing the soil in the first place
sec that the ground is ploWed deep,
ten to twelve inches, the deeper the
better, then work it until you think it
would be in a good condition to plant
corn. A piece Of ground hat is in
good condition to plant corn will do
to plant trees in.
we find that the best varieties for
this part of the northwest is the Hi
bernal. The Pattens Greening, Wealthy,
Iowa Beauty, University and in some
localities the Northwestern Greening.
These are standard apples. In crab
apples the Whitney. Hyslop, Virginia,
and Lyman's Prolific, also the Tran
scendant, although the latter variety
is prone to blight, consequently should
be planted by themselves. There are
several other varieties that promise
well for our part Of the country, IIt
if you confine yourself to the Varie-
ties just mentioned you will not go
far wrong.
when your trees arrive your
ground should be ready so that you
can plant them Immediately, and by
the way, when you go to he delivery
place to get your trees go prepared
to take care of them SO as to get them
home in good condition. More trees
are perhaps spoiled between the de-
livery point and the place they are to
be planted thar from any other cause,
we know of, SO when you take your
trees home keep them we'll packed in
| wet straw and blankets. When you
get them home dig a large hole or
trench and set them all in together,
covering the roots well, then you can
take out a few at a time as you pro-
| gress with the planting. Apple trees
should be planted fourteen to sixteen
feet apart each way. Dig the holes
large enough so all the roots of the
tree have plenty Of room to lay
| straight ou,. When O dig the holes
throw the surface dirt on one side and
the subsoil on the other so that when
you set your tree you can pack the
surface soil around the roots first
then fill with subsoil. Before you set
| your trees examine the roots and II
there are any broken. mes trim smooth
with a sharp knife making the cut
from below eve from above, then
cut back the side branches about one
third balancing the root and top. The
hole should be deep enough so the
tree will be about four inches deeper
when planted than it was in the nur-
| sery. After placing the tree throw a
couple of spades full of top soil around
the roots, shake the tree up and down
so as to work the loose dirt well
around the roots, pour in about halt
a pail of water and let settle, then
throw in more top dirt until the hole
is about half full, stamp it good and
| tight, the tighter the better, then fill
in the top with loose ~subsoil, dishins
the ground toward the tree.
A good plan is to have some kind
of cultivated crop between the trees
the first couple Of years. preferably
early potatoes or beans, then wher
you cultivate these you cultivate youl
| trees at lItG SdLl6 Ltl1lCs lluS kIIlIuE
two birds with n stone and alst
getting good returns for your work
The reason that We advocate early
potatoes is on account of the fact tina
trees should not be cultivated afteI
Aug. Is at the latest; If you cultivate
later you keep the trees growing ant
they do not get sufficient time tt
ripen up for the winter. With goot
cultivation there is very little need O.
watering but should the season be eX'
ceedingly dry and you see that thu
trees are in need of moisture dom
make the mistake Of watering a little
every day, do a thorough job of i
and once a week is sufficient. Draw
the dry dirt away from the tree, the1
give each tree a good soaking, after
wards drawing the dry dirt bacl
around the tree again. This prevents
the ground from baking and cracking
and retains all the moisture. Aftel
the ground is frozen in the fall 1t Ii
well to give each tree a good mulch O
half rotted straw manure placing 1t
few inches away from the body Of tn
tree. This protects the roots and ais
tends to hold the tree back in tn
spring SO the sap does not start a
early and they are not subject to dam
age from alternate thaWing freez
ing. Another good plan is to make
whitewash from common lime. ad,
just enough blue vitrol SO that i
i gives the white wash a slight" color
go over the bodies Of the trees witt
this in the fail and you have a pro
lection against rabbits n mice. ais
the blue vitrol in the white wash keep
the bark free from insect pests to
certain extent.
Pruning or trimming a tree Is no
by any means as intricate a job a