WINTER MEETING. 143 



Preparing the Ground and Planting- an Orchard. 



The following list of articles should be provided before begining 

 operations, so no delay may be necessary : 



A large, strong lister plow with ironed beam to stand a pull of six 

 horses, and a four-horse double-tree. 



A good subsoil plow. 



One thousand wooden pins, one-half inch in diameter and 12 inches 

 long. 



Four posts for corners of tract. 



Fourteen flags — poles 12 feet long, sharpened at lower end, with a 

 piece of clean white cloth nailed to the top. 



Two iron pins, same as used with check-rower. 



A planting wire with three-inch iron rings attached to each end 

 ■(use iS'o. 12 wire) ; length of wire including rings, 300 feet. Pieces of 

 wire should be twisted around and soldered firmly to the planting wire 

 every 30 feet, making ten 30-foot spaces. 



Four planting boards four feet long, four inches wide and one-half 

 inch thick. Bore one-inch holes in board three inches from each end 

 and saw a notch from center of board exactly midway between the 

 holes. 



Two tubs, made by sawing an oil barrel in two. 



The preparation of the ground comes first (presuming that it has 

 been selected with care and good judgment). All trees and brush and 

 old hedges should be thoroughly grubbed out and burned ; any abrupt 

 banks or very uneven surfaces should be leveled down so there may 

 be no delay in working teams over them, and any obstructions removed 

 which may interfere with throwing all the ground to be planted into a 

 body. (I am taking for granted that the ground has been under cul- 

 tivation). We all agree that the land should be plowed deeply and 

 -well harrowed and pulverized. 



We will suppose that we have a 40-acre block to plant and that we 

 will plant the trees 30 feet apart each way and on the square. We will 

 now get the exact corners of the block, which will be 1,300 feet 

 apart, and drive stakes. The northeast corner we will take as a start- 

 ing point, or initial corner. Measure west from it and plant a flag 15 

 feet in exact line to northwest corner stake, and also south 15 feet and 

 likewise plant a flag on direct line to southeast corner stake. Go to 

 each of the other corners and locate flags in the same way 15 feet each 

 way on the line from corner stakes. 



