158 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



THE ORCHARD. 



Bij James Lang. 



Preparing the Land for Planting. 



Ill preparing the land for planting fruit trees it is requisite that the 

 whole of the ground should be deeply ploughed to a uniform depth of 

 fi'om six to eight inches, which will be sufficient where the ground is 

 of a sandy or friable nature, but in heavier soils subsoiling will be 

 necessary. This latter operation is best done by removing the mould- 

 board of one ])lough and following with it in the furrow behind the 

 ordinary plough. In this way the subsoil is stirred up to a depth of 

 about a foot, and the ground is left in good condition for planting. On 

 no account should holes two feet or more in depth be dug in- which 

 to plant the trees, as these holes merely act as a receptacle for water 

 to the great injury of the trees. 



In breaking up virgin land that has just been cleared, it is advis- 

 able to crop it with hay or potatoes for the first season, or it may be 

 left in bare fallow, which sweetens and mellows the soil, and leaves it 

 in better condition for planting. 



Planting. 



The distance apart when planting trees, is a matter in which con- 

 siderable diversity of opinion exists among fruit growers. In small 

 gardens, where the space is limited, 15 feet apart is a fair distance ; in 

 commercial orchards, where the work is done by horse labor, 20 feet 

 apart is not too much, this gives 100 trees per acre. In planting the 

 tree dig a hole a little larger than the spread of the roots, so that each 

 root can be laid out nicely, without being cramped, cut olf all bruised 

 or broken roots with a sharp knife, place the tree in the hole with "the 

 roots carefully spread out, fill in some soil, then tread firmly all round 

 the tree, then fill in the remainder of the soil. The tree should not be 

 planted deeper than the soil mark on the stem, tliis being the d'r^pth 

 at which it was growing in the nursery. 



Apples for Export, 



In planting ajjples for export do not fall into the mistake of plant- 

 ing too many sorts, and of unsuitable vai'ieties. Sufficient experience 

 has now been gained from our exports, during the last ten years, to 

 enable growers to select the varieties most suitable to the London 

 market. Cle<;)patra, .lonathaii, and Munro's Favorite always com- 

 mand the highest average jjrice. Other good sorts are London 

 Pippin, Dumelow's Seedling, Ksopus Spitzenburgh, Newtown Pippin,. 

 Rome Beauty, and Sturmer Pippin. 



In districts where the three first-named apples do well it would be 

 wise to ]ilant them only, because there is more money in them than in 

 any other variety that can be exported. 



