Winter Meeting. 241 



the base of a tree twenty-seven fet away and then it rapidly shortens 

 and shifts to the north. In view of these facts it is a matter of surprise 

 that men of experience in orchard growing should advise planting 

 twenty by thirty feet and assign the reasons above mentioned for so 

 doing. 



But what are the advantages in equal spacing both ways ? It is 

 obvious that in planting twenty by thirty there will be much interlacing 

 of rootSj and heavy demands made upon a portion of the soil 

 while in the centers bet^veen the rows the wide wa}- comparatively 

 little feeding is done while the orchard is young; whereas 

 with equal spacing the whole soil is available alike for the use of the 

 trees. But a more important reason for equal spacing is found in the 

 advantages of cultivation and care. The spacing we have suggested 

 (twenty-six to twenty-seven feet), while it gives the number of trees 

 per acre desired, is the most convenient. It is agreed that the orchard 

 should be planted from three to five years in some tillable crop, as corn 

 or potatoes. In the distances here given each tree space is exactly seven 

 corn spaces. This enables us to mark out the ground one way with a 

 three runner marker, going twice in each tree space, and plant with a 

 two-horse planter, going three times to the space. The seventh row of 

 corn standing exactly in the the tree row. You may plow the corn 

 both ways, plowing six roAvs with ordinary cultivators, while the corn 

 in the- tree row may be worked out with a single horse. The cultiva- 

 tion of an orchard is a grievous task at the best and may be made much 

 more so by an injudicious spacing of the trees. A mistake here will 

 be repented many times in the years that follow. The proper number 

 of trees to the acre, rightly distributed, the greatese possible conven- 

 ience in culture and care, with all the advantages of sun and air that 

 it is possible to secure, is what we claim for this spacing. 



One other matter and we are through. In connection with setting 

 the orchard comes the pruning. Very little should be done afterwards, 

 but it is important that it should be done and proj^erly done at the time 

 of planting. 



It is well known that the leaves arc the lungs of the plant, that 

 hove tlio interchange of gases takes place, the plant exhaling oxygen and 



H— 16 



