EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 259 



fertile, or in other words that pollen from another variety is required for 

 the proper fertilization of the flowers and setting of the fruit. 



For this reason we would advise that in large commercial orchards, 

 unless one is sure that the varieties selected are self-fertile, several varie- 

 ties should be grown, and that no more than five or at most ten rows of 

 any one variety be planted without introducing at least one row of some 

 other kind. "While this will to some extent injure the appearance of the 

 orchard, and perhaps increase the labor in picking, the benefits to the 

 crop will more than balance these drawbacks. 



The same thing is known to be true of pears to an even greater degree , 

 and is probably true of other fruits. 



LAYING OUT AND PLANTING THE ORCHARD. 



In locating the position of the trees a garden line or wire, with a mark 

 of some kind at the interval determined upon for the trees, should be 

 used, and stakes set where the trees are to go. To secure the placing of 

 the trees at the precise spots occupied by the stakes, a planting board of 

 some kind can generally be used to advantage. A simple form is shown 

 in Fig. 5. It consists of a strip of board three or four inches wide and six 

 feet long, with a notch at each end and another in the middle. 



Fig. 5,— Planting board. 



To use the board, place the center notch against the stake where the 

 tree is to be set and insert stakes at each of the other notches. The 

 board can then be removed and used at other trees in the same way. 

 When the hole for the tree has been dug, the board is again placed so 

 that the stakes will be in the end notches, and, if the tree is placed in the 

 center notch, it will be in exactly the same position that the original stake 

 occupied. In this way, if the land is carefully marked out, it will be a 

 simple matter to have the trees in straight lines. 



If, before setting the trees, the land is deeply plowed, the holes need be 

 only large enough to receive the roots without crowding, but if this has 

 not been done it will be well to make them three or four feet in diameter. 

 Should it become necessay to set trees in land that for any reason is not 

 adapted to them, it will aid them in making a start if the holes are made 

 large and rich loam is used for filling them. 



Before setting the trees, the roots should be examined, and if any of 

 them are large and have been bruised or have rough ends, they should be 

 cut smoothly off. Also, if they have a mass of small, hair-like roots, and 

 especially if these have become dry, it will be well to remove them. The 

 holes should be deep enough to allow the trees to stand an inch or so 

 deeper than they were in the nursery. As a rule, they should be deeper 

 on light soil than when it is heavy and poorly drained. Having adjusted 

 the tree in the center notch of the planting board and spread the roots 

 out evenly, the fine soil should be slowly thrown in and carefully worked 

 among the roots, taking pains that no cavity is left beneath the tree. As 

 soon as the roots have been covered the soil should be firmly pressed upon 

 them, using either the feet or a wooden tamper. About three fourths of 

 the hole should be filled in this way, but it is better to leave the surface 



