418 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



other hand, is more expensive to handle and to plant, but with care 

 will succeed and make some return for the extra cost in earlier bearing. 

 A well grown tree three years old is perhaps the best. 



Care should always be taken to select clean, healthy, vigorous trees, 

 no matter what the size. Diseased trees should always be rejected. 

 Trees that are troubled with insects should be thoroughly fumigated 

 before leaving the nursery. Of course, in all counties where there are 

 horticultural commissioners such work is attended to by the commis- 

 sioner. 



Planting. — In digging from the nursery, if the trees are to be 

 transported long distances, it would be safest to ball them. Where the 

 distance from the nursery to the orchard is short, balling will not be 

 necessary. Trees should reach the orchard in as short a time after 

 digging as possible, for long delays in transportation are almost sure to 

 be troublesome and may prove fatal. 



The appearance of the orchard depends greatly on the regularity of 

 planting, which is also necessary for effective and economical cultiva- 

 tion. The placing of each tree is first determined by laying out — that 

 is, by placing a marker at every point where a tree is to be planted. 

 Convenient markers are made by cutting up old redwood planks or 

 posts into pieces 15 inches long and splitting them into pegs about ^ of 

 an inch square. These pegs are then sharpened, tied in bundles of 50 

 and whitened by dipping in a tub of whitewash. A planting line for 

 use in the square system of planting can be made of No. 12 galvanized 

 fencing wire on which markers are placed at the distances apart of the 

 trees. This line should be as long as can be handled conveniently, which 

 is seldom much over 200 feet. If the trees are to be planted 30 feet 

 apart the line may be 215 feet long with eight marks commencing 30 

 inches from each end. Each end of the line should be furnished with 

 an iron ring for holding while stretching. A simple way to mark the 

 line is to wrap a short piece of copper wire around the line at each 

 interval ; this should make a close spiral about ^ inch long. It is fixed in 

 place bj^ a drop of solder. The measuring and marking should be very 

 accurately done and the wire rolled in a large even coil. In putting in 

 markers, a base line must first be established. If the field is fenced the 

 longest side may serve as a base. At 15 to 18 feet from this base line a 

 preliminary line of markers is placed, using white sighting stakes and 

 the marking line. Right angles can be accurately determined only by 

 means of surveying instruments, but sufficient accuracy can be attained 

 by using a right-triangle made of wood ; 1 x 4 battens may be used. 

 Three battens must be nailed together in such a way that the sides will 

 be 6, 8, and 10 feet long respectively. This instrument can be used in 

 the same way as an ordinary tri-square in getting the angle for succeed- 

 ing rows. For staking an orchard to be planted on the equilateral tri- 

 angle system a special marking line is needed. This consists of a chain 

 or twisted wire rope with a ring at each end and one in the middle. The 

 distance between these rings is that at which it is desired to plant the 

 trees. In marking, a base line is laid along one side of the field. For 

 the next line the end rings are placed on the first and second markers of 

 the base line and the place of the first marker in the second row is found 

 by stretching the line by means of the middle ring to its full length. 



