Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-18
TO PLANT AND CARE
FOR FRUIT TREES
Editor Farm and Fireside GIVES
Hints on Starting the
Orchard.
Uv r. r. Rockwell


-, fr,,,,s and mall-fruits. from n
IN s,ace- Watch for next weeks
,.,,,i, telling how to have raspherries
,,ts season. from plants set this spring.
tast week we talked about the selec-
ton Of varieties Of apples. peaches.
ns,rs plumhs AID cherries. for small
n,,pe orchard. Also. of the vital ne
s.sitv of getting your plants from a
well established. dependable nTlh
whether YOU buy from an agent or ny
mail.
Vow comes the next step-the Inn
portant one of preparing for your htt'e
trees and planting them
This part of the making OF your
orchard is in your own hands Inc
nuraeryman. OF whom you bought. may
haxc sent YOU good trees, and the Lord
may send you a good growing season
bur unless YOU plant your trees with
reasonable care. disappointinS failure
/. ukslv to be the result. Every Soou
thing ie worth some effort; and a good
home orchard is such a very e"ou
hing that it's worth hundred times
ov.r the effort needed TO make sure
II its success at the start.
FIRST Step Toward Success.
nn not necessary TO wait until your
hing preparations 10 start them on
tight.
The nrst thing is TO make ready the
places where they are to go. An apple
Tree Will require a space 20 TO 80 feet
IN diameter: a peach. II TO 20 feet'
poars. plums dwarf apples and cherries
about the same.
Perhaps the commonest mistake IN
Wanting trees. is in failing To prepare
i large enough space for the roots
Very often. all that is done Is 70 d'R
out a small hole. Just hig enough ana
ieep enough t. take the roots. even
,then they are bent and cuIied around
In many soils. such a hole will act al
most like n pot or tub. and after year
III two's grc .gth practically all the
roofs Will be still confined within H.
The proper way is 10 dig UP space
4.veral feet in diameter. just rs YOU
would prepare a bed for planting seeds
Then In the center ~ this, dix out a
hole large enough 10 take the roots
IL the tree - be planted. IN their natural
pcsition This VIII not require such
very big hole. because any lonE strag-
Sliue roots the tree may have. should
b. pruncd back before planting. TO CON
form with the rest. And any broken
bruised or rough-looxins roots should
lbe cut hack - clean live wood.
Trees-like vegetables OF flowers
must be provide. Wtth soil that is well
enriched. Il you would have them make
thrifty growth WeI-rotten manure
thoroughly mixed with the soil where
.he trees are 10 he set. makes good
hreparat4on for planting. Wood ashes
lh.ch contain considerable amount
potash-one of the plant foods most
aIa il.l
lsad generously. If available Two or
hire. handfulls of bone meal. TO each
e., may be added 10 the time of plant
Ing. The bone meal win help their
srosth for Two Or three years after
planting.
Care OF Trees when Recev we'd.
Many trees are injured between the
time they ar first received from the
express company or the nursery agent
md the tine they are set out. Keep
n ninnd that your trees are LIVING
PLANTS even though they may be II
j dormant" condition, and not ike
seeds or bulbs.
The frst thing 70 do therefore when
your trees reach you, IS 10 keep the
roots from drying out. Cnpack them
al once: remove bindings. and heel
zing a trench a foot and a half or 50
IN depth. placing the roots Of the trees
therein; and covering them with son.
being sure that II Is packed down close
around the roots. If the soil is dry.
pour water into the bottom Of the trench
before filing Il in.
The trees vii keep in this manner
without injury for some time. But Il
j. desirable 70 get them planted in their
permanent positions just as soon as pos
sible During the planting. the roots
should not be exposed 10 the sun and
W.nd. II there are 8 number Of trees
which are 70 be carried about, II is well
10 keep the roots covered with piece
q wet burlap, Il il is a bright, windy
day.
The mistake most commonly made in
the ac;ua. planting T trees is 10 put
them IL TOO loosely. The soil should
be pack Cd down about the roots. just
a. firmly as II Is possible 70 get it,
with the aid of the feet or a blunt
wooden stock for frrning. The tree
should be put il slightly deeper than
!, grew before. as Indicated by the SOIL
mark Just above the roots
Ordinarily il is not necessary 10 use
water. especially when planting In the
dry when the trees are being set out,
the water should be poured in and al
lowed 10 soak away when about half
- the soil has been put back into the
hole. This Is much more effective than
pouring the water on the surface after
the tree has been planted.
To Make Tree Form a Head
One OF the main reasons why trees
-. -. ,, cornrner,iaI orchards s,T+sy,
seera 70 do better than those in the
nome grounds is that they receive more
attention in the way Of early pruning
IL may seem a great shame. after you
have set out your fine looking little
trees four or six feet high. TO think of
cutting away large part Of what you
have paid out your good money for.
But IL Is necessary 70 do this. II you
want 20 get as much fruit as possible
from your young trees. Peach trees
should be pruned by cutting the top
ont clean & third 70 half OF the dis
tauce down TO the lowest branches and
cutting ali the remaining branches back
10 within s Few inches Of the main stem.
Apples, pears and plums should have
I'm the top above the first five Or six
ranches removed and these remain
ins branches cut back to & few buds
zach Care should be taken however
that no two Of these branches which are
ls,ft grow out from the main stem at
V-Cf4ld