290 AGRICUIvTURE OF MAINE. 



PREPARATION FOR AN ORCHARD. 



In making plans for the setting of a young orchard there are 

 many questions to be considered, among which are the follow- 

 ing: 



Location. 



It has been said that any location will do, that it is not so 

 much the location as it is the preparation and care of the soil. 

 In many cases it is best to look the situation over and make the 

 best selection that the farm will allow. If a choice could be 

 made I would suggest the following in the order named, begin- 

 ning with the most favorable, other conditions being equal. 

 Northwestern; northern; northeastern; eastern; western; south- 

 eastern ; southern ; southwestern. The reason for the above is 

 the protection of the trees from sun scald in the winter, the 

 thawing of the ground and too early starting of the sap in the 

 spring, and the direct hot sun rays in the summer. If on a 

 level, of course there should be sufficient elevation to afford 

 good drainage, as this is one of the most essential requisites of 

 a good orchard location. Gentle slopes are much to be pre- 

 ferred to steeper inclines or abrupt hillsides. If natural drain- 

 age does not exist artificial should be resorted to, as trees like 

 human beings, cannot thrive with cold feet. 



Heavy clay soil gives smaller fruit and not so well colored, 

 the flavor not reaching the high standard that is produced on a 

 light warm soil. 



START A NURSFRY. 

 It would be a good plan to arrange to start a nursery in the 

 spring or next fall, if not ready now. The seeds can be sown 

 in drills in good garden soil and the young trees cared for by 

 simply thinning out and keeping the weeds down just as you 

 would care for a garden. In the spring of the second year 

 transplant into rows three feet apart, the trees about eight 

 inches apart, and care for them through the season, cultivating 

 up to August first, and then applying a mulch of straw to allow 

 them to harden up for winter. As soon as the leaves have 

 fallen clean off all of the straw so the ground will freeze. The 

 greatest danger to the young nursery trees is the presence of 

 mice during the winter. Be sure that the trees are not set 



