Milford chronicle., 1921-03-18
GROW YOUR OWN FRUIT
STARTING The HOME ORCHARD; HOW
TO PLANT AND CARE FOR The YOUNG
TREES SO AS TO GET A STRONG.
EARLY GROWTH.
By F. F. Rockwell, Horticultural Ed
itOr of Farm & Fireside

lLOf OI rdTn q FIrGSlQe
This is the second article in Mr.
Rockwells series telling how to have
an abundance of apples, peaces, and
other tree fruits and small fruits,
from small space. Watch for next
weeks article telling how to have
raSpberr;es this season, from plants
set this spring.
! Last week we talked about the Sc
lection of varieties of apples, peaches.
pears, plums and cherries, for a small
home orchard. Also, of the vital ne
cesslty OF getting your plants from q
well established, dependable firm,
whether you buy from an agent or by
mail.
Now comes the next step; i'm
portant one of preparing for your lit
tie trees and planting them.
This part of the making of your
orchard is in your own hands. The
nurseryman, of whom you bought,
may have sent you good trees. and
the Lord may send you a good grow
ing season, but unless you PLANT
your trees with reasonable care, dis
appointing failure is likely to be the
result. Every good thing is worth
some effort; and a good home or
chard is such very good thing, that
it's worth a hundred times over, the
effort needed to make sure of it's sue
cess at the start.
The First Step Toward Insuring
Success
It's not necessary to wait until |
your trees are actually received before
beginning preparations to start them
off right.
The first thing is to make ready the
places where they are to go. An ap-
pie tree will require a space 20 to 80
feet in diameter; peach, Is to 20
,eet; pears, plums, dwarf apples and
cherries about the same.
Perhaps the cOmmOnest mistake in
planting trees, is in failing to prepare
! large enough space for the ROOTS.
Very often, all that is done is to dig
'ut small hole, just big enough and
leep enough to take the roots, even
vhen they are bent and curled
round. In many soils, such a hole :
7ill act almost like pot or tub, and
fter year of two's growth, practi-
ally all the roots will be still con- :
ned within it.
The proper way is to dig up space
everal feet in. diameter, just as you :
-Ould prepare bed for planting l
eeds. Then in the center of this, dig
ut hole large enough to take the :,
pots of the tree to be planted, IN y
HEIR NATURAL POSITION. This d
ill not require such very big hole, v
ctr orr1f7
zee may have, should be pruned back.
efore planting, to conform with the y
'st. Any any broken, bruised or =
ugh looking roots should be cut q
lck to clean, live wood. 81 %
Trees-like vegetables or flowers s.
low To Take Care of Your Trees
When You First Receive Them CO
Many trees are injured between the pl
ne they are first received from the OF
press company or the nursery agent
ID the time they are set out. Keep r
mind that your trees are LIVING
ANTS, even though they may be
a dormant" condition, and not like
eds or bulbs. d,
The first thing to do therefore, II, 10,
len your trees reach you, is to bo
lEP THE ROOTS FROM DRYING "
TT. Unpack them at once; remove III,
ldings, andA "heel them in" This ~, 49,
lsists merely of digging a trench a 90
It and salt or so in depth; plac- M,
: the roots of the trees therein; and ooi
7ering them with soil, being~sure 1oT
It it is packed down close around 49,
roots. If the soil is dry, pour wa on
into the bottom of the trench be- -
e filling it in. bo
st be provided with soil that is loo
Il enriched, if you would have them Me- Me-
Ike a thrifty growth. Well-rotted nol
nure, thoroughly mixed with the IF
where the trees are to be set, cbe
kes a good preparation for plant sno
Wood ashes, which contain con-
7rable amount of pOtash-one of +io,
plantfoods most needed by fruit do
also be used generous 1So
if available. Two or three hand "A
S of bone meal, to each tree, may ad
added at the time of planting. The tbo
e meal will help their growth for ono
or three years after planting. naY
he trees will keep in this man ri.
without injury for some time. But No.. r',,.
desirable to get them planted in ar,,, en-
r parmanent positions just as soon S+at g. o.
possible. During the planting, the "a a.
S should not be exposed to the FIJI
and wind. If there are a num- A. a..
of trees which are to be carried -Aei
1t, it is well to keep the roots COW
with a piece of wet burlap, if it D
bright, windy day. neeC
lie mistake most commonly made put
he actual planting of trees is to get