ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 21M 



HOW I GKOW ORCHARDS. 



The commercial orchard, or the raising of apples for the money 

 that therein is, is my subject at this time, and :it the risk of being cnlled 

 an egotist 1 shall principally conline m)self l<» uiy own observation and 

 experience, because that is one of the objects of our association. 



My grounds are located on the north side of Rock river in Lee 

 county in what was originally heavy timbered land, and are now protected 

 on all sides by a second growth of oaks and hickory, the white oak 

 largely predominating, holding its leaves through the winter, making one 

 of the best of wind-breaks. 



The soil is light colored, not very rich in vegetable mold, strong 

 in the elements of hardy wood growth, not easily affected by drouth, and 

 having a gentle slope to the south-east has sufficient surface drainage, 

 and a warm e.vposure. The sub-soil is a yellowish calcareous layer, (er- 

 roneously railed clay) about ten feet deep, underlaid by the yellow lime- 

 stone called Buff, Galena, or Sunflower. 



My orchards consist of a hundred trees set in eighteen si.\ty-one, seven 

 hundred in eighteen si.xty-tive, three hundred in eighteen sixty-six, and 

 two hundred subsequently. They are set twenty feet apart both ways, 

 and were from two to four years old when transplanted and embraced 

 over sixty varieties, and none but first-class trees were used. I fit my ground 

 for setting, with the plow, by throwing a dea^. furrow about four feet oii 

 each side of the place where the rows of trees are to stand. This leaves 

 a land eight feet wide. I then plow around this land throwing the soil 

 both ways from the center and go as often as necessary to make it about 

 sixteen to eighteen inches deep, the cut in width eight feet, finishing up 

 by filling up the center dead furrow where the trees are to stand, about ten 

 inches above the natural level. This method of plowing leaves the soil 

 nearly in its natural order with surface soil on the top and with sufiicient 

 depth of mellow earth for a root bed. 



1 then witii a pole twenty feet long and two hands with me set the 

 outside rows around my plat in line and at proper distance. We throw 

 the dirt from the top of the ridge, so as to leave the bottom of the hole 

 about on the surface level; one man then brings a tree from where they 

 are heeled in, and with a sharp knife the ends of bruised roots are cut 

 oft" so as to leave a long slanting cut on the under side of the roots and 

 the ends of the root fibres are also cut off. The tree is then placed in 

 position, and being held firmly in place by one man, your humble serv- 

 ant then, on bended knee, with his hands fills in finely pulverized soil 

 among all the roots large and small, leaving them as near as possible in 

 their natural position, leaving no air holes. The hole is then filled about 

 tour inches above the place where the earth stood in the nursery, and light- 

 ly pressed. A wheel-barrow load of coarse manure is placed around each 

 tree, (but not against the body) laid about four inches deep and covered 

 with soil to prevent evaporation. Five hundred trees are a tair day's 

 work tor three men in this way; the mulching is done by others. This 

 being a very important point, and should not be omitted. 



