Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-20
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
~ DR.. ANDREW NJ. SOULE

ing in prersring to set trees. Some
orcFardists. reporting to the Geor-
gia State Horticultural society
stated that their experience with a.
Mantle lad been unsatisfactory ano
that it's use had not resulted as they
had hoped, in extr. gr.wth. Sotae
others reported success from the ls'a
of powder in planting trees.
It seems that this resolves itself
into a question of local conditions
time of blasting the results have
been poor. This bad effect is due to
the compacting or pudding OF the
soil caused by the force of the eX-
panding gas Of the dynamite. rms
! force is the same in all directions
and the only reason that a hole is
made in the ground is that there
| is less resistance above the charge
than in any other direction. Where
the. soil was already loose and Well
| drained, dynamite seems to have been
unnecessary. On the other hand.
when soils are undertake by hard
pan the results seem to have been
satisfactory when the dynamiting
was done during the dry season. The
use of dynamite will increase the
| cost of planting and whether this
! expense should be incurred depends
entirely upon the subsoil.
Whether to set in the fall or spring
has also been considerably discussed
in the apple-growing section. Cen
orally speaking, it is better to set
in the fall, not because better results
are obtained in the growth, but as a
rule, fall or early winter planted
| trees are set with more care than
| when the orchard is planted during
| the rush of spring work. Trees set
in the fall generally make an earlier
| and better start the following spring
than those set late in the winter.
Trees for fall planting must neces-
! sarily be dug from the nursery very
early and there is a disposition on
the part of the nurserymen to strip
the leaves off Of the trees in order
to get the order filled on time. Trees
stripped in this way are apt to have
poorly matured twigs and buds,
which cannot withstand the cold and
draught of the first winter.
The age Of the trees planted va
rteS to some extent among orchard
lists, but, as rule, the north Georgia
orchardists prefer trees that are one
year from the graft or bud.
One year old apple trees are SIM
ply whips which have never been
pruned The advantages of such
trees are that they stand transplant
ing better than do older trees, the
first cost is less and the freight
from the nursery to the orchard is
less. Another point which is con-
sidered an advantage by the eXpe.
rienced orchardist. but a disadvant-
age by the beginner, is that the head
Of these trees has not been started
and the trees can, therefore, be de-
veloped more nearly according to
the ideals of the individual.
Apple trees may be planted closer
together under southern than under
northern conditions. Some trees of
enormous size are growing among
the hills of north Georgia, where
trunks three feet in diameter are &C.
caslonally found. The best results
have been obtained by commercial or
chardists when the trees are planted
50 to 40 feet apart.
Where dynamite is not used, the
hole should be at least two feet
square and two feet deep. When re-
moving the soil from the top of the
hole, put it in a separate pile so
that it can be put in the bottom
of the hole when refilled. This sur
face soil is usually much more fer
tile than the sub-soil and contains
larger amount of humus. This
makes conditions more favorable for
the development Of the roots and en-
ables the tree to make a rapid, v1gor-
Gus start after transplanting.
The roots of the tree, as rule,
should be pruned. 1t is especially i'm
portant to remove any severely in
jured or diseased roots, and it Is
usually advisable to shorten long
Struggling ones SO that they can be
tage. Set the tree from one to two
inches deeper than it stood in the
nursery row. The surface soil should
then be thrown in about the roots.
II the soil is poor, one or two
mixed with this soil.
The roots Of the plants should
be spread out and every effort made
to get the soil we'll up under their
forks. 1t will be well, when begin
ming to fill the hole, to shake the
trees up and down to get the dirt in
pay to use the hands and work the
SOIL compactly around the roots when
the tree is first placed in the hole.
A little time and care taken when
the tree is set will bring big returns
IN the rapidity with which the tree
planting. AS the dirt is being thrown
into the hole it should be constantly
tamped. The hole should be filled a
little above the surrounding ground
to prevent water from standing
around the trunk and to offset the
setting that is sure to follow. After
the tree is set it should be pruned,
but not before planting
, Wherever the planting Is done on
level lands, the trees should be in
line IN both directions The align
ment may be obtained by the use of
a. simple planting board made of a
piece of 1X4 about feet long,
notched in the center and at either
END. The notch in the center is put
ABOUT the stake that shows the To-
cation of tree. Stakes are then
driven in the notches at both ends
of the board and the board removed,
The hole is dug and when the board
is placed again on the stakes the
notch IN the center shows the loca-
ton for planting. Even when usi11g
planting board, If trees are SET i3
squares, it is necessary to sight il,
lb!oth directions to get them in nerfent
line. When labor is 81 a day it costs
approximately cents to set a tree
by this method. 'ioe