424 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



LAYING OUT THE ORCHARD AND PLANTING THE 



TREES. 



C. p. BLAIR, ST. CHARLKS. 



A country home does not seem to us complete without an or- 

 chard of a few trees, and we will try to give a few hints to the be- 

 ginner as to what we think is the best way to proceed. The setting 

 out of an orchard is a permanent improvement and ought to be 

 carefully considered. The first thing to be considered is, what is the 

 best location we have for the home and the orchard. Some prefer 

 a northern slope, which you may not have. We do not think that 

 a slope in any particular direction is a necessity. If you have land 

 high enough to not be frosty, it will make a good location for an 

 orchard. There are so many high winds and big storms, that we 

 think that a protection for the home and the orchard is a good thing 

 to have. We think that a protection on three sides of the orchard 

 and home is very desirable on the north, west and the south sides. 

 So few of our high winds and big storms come from the east that a 

 windbreak on that side is not quite as necessary as on the other side. 



Where you have a natural grove on any side be sure to save it as 

 a protection for the home. Where a natural grove does not exist 

 we think that it will pay to grow one to protect the home and 

 orchard. 



The land where you intend to set your orchard should 

 be plowed in the fall, and in the spring it should be nicely pulverized 

 with a disk. 



I like to set apple trees in rows both ways, twenty-one feet apart 

 each way, so as to cultivate the ground for a few years, while the trees 

 are young. At twenty-one feet apart the trees will be in every sixth 

 row, of rows three feet and a half apart. After the land has been 

 thoroughly pulverized you can mark oiT the land both ways so as 

 to set the trees in the checks at twenty-one feet apart each way. 

 At twenty-one feet apart you can put ninety-eight trees per acre. 

 We think that on the outside next to the protecting grove a space 

 of at least two rods ought to be left vacant, and if the protecting 

 grove is willows the space should be not less than four rods wide. 



Be sure and dig the holes large enough so that the roots can be 

 straightened out as they grew in the nursery. We like to set the 

 trees at least three or four inches deeper than they grew in the 

 nursery. Let the roots of the trees stand in water for an hour or 

 more before setting out. Trim off all of the broken roots ; trim 

 off all of the broken limbs ; also trim off and cut back fully one-half 

 of the top of the tree to be set out. If the ground is not moist 



