ANNUAL MEETING AT NEVADA. 303 



near horse the furrow, and by this means the furrow is usually made 

 sufficiently deep and wide to receive the roots of the tree without fur- 

 ther digging. In like manner I continue until my furrows are all open- 

 ed out. There is now but one step more to take before commencing to 

 set my trees, and that is to set two or more stakes in line crossing my 

 furrow at right angles and 15 feet inside of the outer line of my plat of 

 ground. These stakes are to guide me in setting my first row of trees. 

 Armed with a shovel and aided by two boys, one to bring the trees, and 

 the other to steady them while the roots are being covered with mellow 

 earth, a man can set from 100 to 125 trees a day and do it well. After 

 the trees are in the ground and the dirt has been thoroughly pressed 

 about their roots, a strong horse rode by a boy, attached to a 10 or 12 

 inch plow, by a stout singletree, should pass up and down on each side 

 of every row of trees throwing tlie loose earth back into the furrows 

 you made in which to set your trees, filling them up. This plan of set- 

 ting an orchard has several advantages over the usual method of dig- 

 ging a hole in the ground of more or less magnitude to receive the 

 roots of the tree. By planting in a furrrow it does not matter how 

 long the roots are, you have room to extend them indefinitely. Another 

 advantage is by planting in a furrow, you secure better drainage, there- 

 by enabling the tree to better withstand the extremes of wet and dry. 

 This is a vital point. 



As to the after treatment of your orchard, grow it as rapidly as you 

 can by good care and cultivation. Corn is a very good crop for a young 

 orchard, at first giving your tree the space of a single hill, and after- 

 wards more latitude as the top expands, but whatever you do, don't 

 grow weeds in your orchard; they are a reproach and nuisance wherever 

 found, and doubly so in an orchard. Having grown your trees so that 

 they are now capable of bearing up a reasonable burden of fruit, you 

 can safely check their growth somewhat by seeding your orchard down 

 to tame grasses. This will probably bring it into full bearing, gladening 

 your heart with an abundance of luscious fruit good enough for angels to 

 feast upon. But if you expect to maintain the vigor and fruitfuUness of 

 your orchard be liberal to it, feed it well. Don't undertake to get two 

 full crops from it the same season, one of grasses and the other of fruit. 

 If you do, your greed will socfncr or later destroy your orchard and you 

 will find when it is too late, you have " killed the goose that laid the 

 golden egg." 



There are other matters growing out of my theme to which I would 

 gladly refer if time would permit, such as trimming the orchard, head- 



