MY COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. 



347 



the plan of sowing the ground to be planted to orchard to barley 

 or some other small grain before planting my trees— and I mulch as 

 soon as planted. 



I stretch and stake my wire about three inches inside of where I 

 want my first row of trees to stand, and if the rows are long I use 

 three or more ten-foot poles, one at each end and one or two 

 between. * 



I begin by one of the buttons which comes nearest to where 

 I want my end tree. I stand one foot on the wire and face with 

 the row and with spading fork dig a hole on the outside of the 

 wire by every sixth button, and as much under the wire as is con- 



Mr. J. F. Benjamin, Hutchinson. 



venient. I dig holes twenty inches or more in diameter, according 

 to the size of trees to be planted, and about two feet deep. When 

 I get the first row of holes all dug, I measure two lengths of each 

 pole, or twenty feet, from the wire at each end and middle, and stick 

 each pole exactly twenty feet from the wire, and at right angles 

 with it. 



Now I take a bundle of trees, just enough for one row if I can 

 — and if the weather is drying or sun shining I take a piece of wet 

 burlap or blanket and wrap around the roots. Now I fork down 

 the side of hole, to fill hole to desired depth, thus having several 

 inches of mol-t top soil to plant my trees on. Then I put in my 

 tree about six inches deeper than it stood in nursery row, slanting 



