STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 257 



remain as loose and mellow as possible. When jinished, the tree 

 should stand perpendicular, or leaning slightly to the southwest, 

 and it should be mulched for six feet around with some material 

 that will keep the temperature of the ground even and prevent 

 rapid evaporation of moisture. It expedites business considerably 

 to lay off the whole ground and set a stake where each tree is to 

 stand before any are planted. Absolutely straight rows give the 

 best satisfaction. For laying off the ground stretch a line upon 

 one side of the plat for the first row. having measured it and 

 marked with a knot or string where each stake is to be set. Set 

 the stakes and move the linej to the place for the next row, and so 

 continue until the whole is laid off. This is for the square form. 

 The quincunx order of planting offers a plan by which a greater 

 number of trees may be planted upon a given area, so that each 

 shall have the greatest possible room. This is not the simple affair 

 that some would suppose, and I will attempt a description. First 

 determine the point for the center of each' tree in one of the outer 

 rows. This is easiest done by stretching the line that has been 

 measured and marked, as before mentioned, or better yet, have the 

 marks at one-half the distance between the trees, and set the stakes 

 at every other mark. We will suppose that these are twenty feet 

 apart. Now, to determine where the next row is to stand, or the 

 distance between the rows, take a line forty feet in length, with a 

 knot in the middle, and place its two ends at two contiguous stakes, 

 then straighten the knot or mark ^until the whole line becomes 

 stretched in two equal lengths, and the knot or mark will indicate 

 the exact point where the tree in the next row is to stand. Now 

 measure from this point to the center on a line between the two 

 trees of the first row that were made the base of operation, and you 

 have ascertained the distance between the rows. Stretch the line 

 at that distance from the first, and set stakes at the alternate 

 marks from the first, then move line and stake same as first row, 

 and so alternating until the whole is completed. By this method 

 each tree occupies the center of a hexagon of equal sides, and is, 

 consequently, equidistant from every other tree, and the advanta- 

 ges are that they can be planted closer together and more nearly 

 occupy the whole space, without crowding each other at certain 

 points. 



DISTANCE APART TO PLANT. 



Upon tliis point our best fruit growers disagree, but the major- 

 ity favor close planting — some even as close as 12 to 16 feet. This 



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