472 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



WHEN TO PLANT. 



The time for planting is governed, to some extent, by circum- 

 stances, and botli spring and fall jjlauting have their advantages. 

 From the experience and observation of the writer, it would be some- 

 what of a dilhenlt question to state his preference on, this point, as 

 some very plausible arguments can be advanced on either side. One 

 objection urged against fall planting is "that the roots of a tree do 

 not take hold of the ground sufficiently to supply enough moisture 

 to maintain a health}', active circulation of the sap which is required 

 to i^revent shriveling of the branches during winter's extreme cold 

 and exhaustive evaporation from drying winds.'' On the other hand 

 we quote from Prof. Bailey in favor of fall planting: "That the trees 

 become established during the open weather of the fall and they 

 usually make a start in spring before the ground is dry enough to 

 allow of spring planting. This early start not only means a better 

 growth the first season, but, what is more important, trees which 

 get a very early hold upon the soil endure the drouths of midsummer 

 much better than the trees planted in spring." It will not be very 

 safe, however, to i^lant in the fall unless the trees are thoroughly 

 well-matured. Jt is quite evident that from a choice of unfavorable 

 conditions of either season, spring planting would perhaps be the 

 safer course to follow. 



DISTANCE TO PLANT. 



The proper distance apart to plant trees in the orchard is a sub- 

 ject of much controversy among apple growers. There seems to be 

 a tendency rather toward close setting and severe pruning. This 

 does not seem to be nature's way and rather the reverse should be 

 the rule. The error of close planting is almost universally com- 

 mitted. The trees are usually set so close that the branches inter- 

 lock in a few years; but there are those, however, whom experience 

 has taught the impracticability of this custom. An apple orchard 

 of a forest like appearance is not to be desired, for it shuts out 

 sunlight and keeps the ground damp, conditions very favorable for 

 the breeding and harboring of injurious insects and disease. Close 

 setting also very naturally hinders in the cultivation and spraying of 

 the orchard and in the production and gathering of the fruit. The 

 fruit grown on trees that are set too close, unless severely pruned, 

 which always has an effect of more or less injury, does not produce 

 a growth as perfect or a color as rich as that upon trees set at a 

 greater distance. 



In planting trees, the land should be laid off in perfectly straight 

 rows and the exact location for every tree determined before digging 



