262 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



DISTANCE FOE PLANTING. 



The majority of planters err on the side of planting at too small dis- 

 tances. Some advise planting closer upon strong land than upon that 

 which is light, but while more space is desirable to furnish the necessary 

 moisture on a light soil, on the other hand it may be urged that upon the 

 heavier soil the trees will make a much larger growth and the branches 

 will interlace unless they have a good distance. 



Leaving the character of the soil out of the question, we may say that 

 the stroDg-growing, long-lived sorts should have at least forty feet each 

 way, while the small and comparatively short-lived kinds, such as the 

 Wagener, may be as near as two rods without danger of crowding. 



The usual method is to plant in squares (Fig. 1) but the arrangement 

 either in rectangles (Fig. 2), or in triangles (Fig. 3) will often utilize the 



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Hg. 1.— Bqnares. Fig. 2.— Eectangles. Kg. 8.— Triangles, 



land to better advantage. When varieties like the Northern Spy, that 

 are a long time coming into bearing, are planted, it is a good plan to have 

 each of these permanent trees in the center of a hexagon with six or of 

 a square containing eight trees ( Fig. 4, A and B) of some variety that 



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Fig. 4 A.— a;, Northern Spy ; o, Wagener. Fig. 4 B. 



bears early, but is generally short-lived. In this way there will be one 

 Spy to three of the others. The Northern Spy trees should then be 45 

 feet each way if in squares, or 40x45 if in hexagon. This plan can only 

 be recommended when the land is to have extra care and the surplus trees 

 are taken out when the others need the room. 



As a rule the planting of peaches or other fruits between the rows is 

 not to be commended, unless more than usual care and fertilization are 

 given, especially as there is danger of leaving the other fruits too long. 

 Above all, it is poor policy to grow strawberries or raspberries between 

 the rows of trees after the latter come into bearing, or at any time in 

 fact, as none of them will receive the amount of food or water required 

 for a satisfactory growth. 



THE PROPAGATION OF APPLE TREES. 



The ordinary standard apple trees are propagated by budding or graft- 

 ing the improved varieties upon seedling stocks. The seedlings are grown 

 for one or two years in the seed bed, from seeds obtained from the cider 



