30 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



ble; back of it, or one side instead of in front, as some have it. IE 

 there are any fruit trees in the door yard, they should be of the 

 upright-growing kinds, like pear trees or the Tetofsky; if the front 

 yard or lawn is large, a few of these and a few crabs may be inter- 

 spersed among the ornamental or shade trees, but much care and 

 judgment should be used or they will be much too close and 

 thick, excluding the sun r and hiding the view either to or from 

 the dwelling. If the site for the orchard has natural drainage 

 much is gained, but if not, it should be under-drained, if possible. 

 No water must stand for the slow process of evaporation by the 

 sun. If not able to underdroin at first, do not wait, but set on the 

 crown of a back furrow and underdrain afterward. Prepare the 

 ground by deep plowing and fine pulverizing; have a nice tilth, as 

 good cultivators say, much as you would for a premium crop of corn 

 or potatoes. Mark the plat off, so that the rows shall be twenty 

 feet apart, and make a farrow with a plow each way and plant 

 the tree3 where the furrows cross, no deeper than the land has 

 been plowed which should be eight or ten inches at least; a foot 

 is better; draw with a hoe some fine mellow soil around the roots, 

 just enough to make the tree stand alone, leaning a little to the 

 west; continue in this way till ail are set; then take the team 

 and plow, with orchard whiffletree, and backf urrow twice around 

 each row of trees, smooth off and level down with hoe, and pack 

 with feet and the work of setting is done. I then prune off all but 

 two or three branches besides the leader or central shoot and cut 

 back these one-third their length. Then mulch with coarse man- 

 ure, three or four feet in diameter six or eight inches thick. If the 

 trees left the nursery in good condition, with good roots and have 

 been kept moist, not thrown into a wagon with roots uncovered 

 and carried eight or ten miles over a very rough road, in a windy 

 day, as is often done ; but instead, cared for properly, ninety-five 

 per cent, of them will grow and become established as orchard 

 trees. 



I would not set less than one hundred trees of the hardy varie- 

 ties, even if the farm did not consist of more than fifteen or twen- 

 ty acres ; and not less than five of any one kind, and these should 

 not include the crabs, or untried aspirants for public favor. I 



