184 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



such mistakes. The best way to get this knowledge is by coming in 

 contact with those of long and valaed experience. 



There is no place where one can get so much for the money and 

 time expended as at just such meetings as we are now holding. One 

 need not take an active part unless they feel it their duty; but an 

 eager, active listener can gather much and store up enough knowledge 

 from a few good meetings to start an orchard without making the many 

 costly mistakes of amateurs. 



1 once heard of two young mothers who were discussing the age 

 at which the education of children should begin. One said begin very 

 young, but the other thought much older; so the matter was referred 

 to an aged grand-mother sitting by, who, after studying for a moment, 

 replied: "The time to begin to educate a child is 20 years before it 

 is born." So with an orchard. It is of vast importance that one 

 should have much knowledge of horticulture before your orchard is 

 set. 



One important item is to know your soil. All soil will not admit 

 of the same cultivation. Trees cannot be set the same way on sandy 

 soil with good anderdrainage, as they are on soil with a tight clay sub- 

 soil. 



The orchard I have grown was set on rolling land, having fine sur- 

 face drainage. This land was once covered with heavy timber oak, 

 sugar tree, ash and walnut, and was originally good land, but at time of 

 planting it was badly worn. It has a sandy loam top soil, with a heavy 

 clay subsoil, in which if you dig a hole and fill with water it will stand 

 for days. To prepare this soil for planting plow as deep as possible 

 and at a time when the ground works well. Prepare as you would a 

 garden, though you have to defer your planting for six months to get 

 your ground in proper condition. Plant your trees as near the same 

 depth as possible that they grew in the nursery. 



Prune the tops of your trees as little as possible, but remove all 

 croches and limbs that interfere, and give the roots all the pruning 

 that you ever expect them to get, for this is the last time you should 

 ever see them. 



Set 25 to 32 feet each way according to strength of land and 

 varieties set. 



Wash the roots of each tree just before putting them in the ground 

 in a barrel of water, having one pound potash to every eight gallons 

 of water. 



Make your holes just as near the size of your tree roots as pos- 

 sible and no deeper than necessary. After placing tree return the dirt 

 just as it came out. l^ever hunt up rich soil to throw in the bottom 



