522 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 Sept., 1916. 



APPLE CULTURE IN YICTORIA. 



(Continued from page 479.) 



By J. Farrell, Orchard Supervisor. 

 Laying Out the Orchakd. 



The continually increasing cost of labour, implements, and spray- 

 ing materials required in the orchard, the difficulties met with in the 

 local marketing of fruit during years of heavy crops, and the keen 

 competition by fruit-exporting States in the world's markets, are the 

 chief factors which should influence the fruit-grower to adopt all the 

 modem methods which tend towards the economic working of the 

 orchard. Amongst those, the method of planting the orchard plays a 

 most important part. 



The Square System of Planting. 



When an orchard is being laid out the trees should be planted in 

 such a manner as to make sure of their subsequent cultivation and 

 general management being carried out on sound commercial lines. 



The square method of planting is mostly practised in this State. 

 By this method the rows of trees are placed at right angles to the 

 headlands. This facilitates cultivation and spraying, &c., and is gene- 

 rally better adapted to irrigation, whether from channels or dams, 

 than when the trees are planted under systems which do not permit 

 of the rows being so placed. 



When the hexagon or other methods of planting, by which the 

 rows are placed in diagonal lines to the headlands, are employed they 

 usually prove inconvenient, and particularly where irrigation and 

 drainage are involved. 



Distance between Trees. 



Great diversity of opinions existed amongst the early growers as 

 to the proper distance apart at which the trees should be planted. But 

 the 16 feet by 16 feet and 18 feet by 18 feet were the distances mostly 

 favoured. 



In the light of experience and more matured knowledge, however, 

 growers who have established commercial orchards, during recent years, 

 almost invariably planted 20 feet by 20 feet. This represents 108 

 trees to the acre, and it has practically become a standard. 



To find the number of trees necessary to plant an acre of land, 

 bring one acre to square feet, and divide by the square of the distance 

 allowed, thus — 



4 X 40 X 301 X 9 1089 



20 X 20 ~ 10 



or lOSVii trees. 



The same method of working the 18 feet by 18 feet principle gives 

 ^ -^° or 134|^ trees per acre. 



To find the lowest number, without a fraction, of trees necessary 

 to plant the smallest number of acres at 20 feet by 20 feet, let the 

 numerator (1089) of the improper fraction represent the trees and 



