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THE PLANTING OF TREES AND CARE OF AN ORCHARD, 3893 
As for varieties, I will give those that have fruited in our own 
_ orchard, not saying that there may not be other varieties of equal 
value that have not fruited with us, and not supposing that we have 
all the good varieties either. I make this selection out of more than 
two hundred varieties. On the farm, first, we want a few of the Red 
Duck (a name given by A. G. Tuttle), as its fruit is ripe two or three 
weeks before the Duchess or Tetofsky. I know of no other summer 
variety equal to the Duchess family. As for early and late fall va- 
rieties, there are a number of them of about equal merit, the Gilbert 
coming in directly after the Duchess, then the Longfield, then the 
Wealthy, Rosy Aport, Brett No. 1, Shilonka, Anisim and Patten’s 
Greening. These varieties would constitute a good basis for a com- 
mercial orchard, including summer, fall and early winter varieties: 
For winter varieties I know of no better at present than the Rollin’s 
Prolific, Malinda and Repka Malenka. 
We want a good winter apple of the quality and color of the 
Wealthy and ofa good size, that will hang on the tree like the Repka 
or Malinda till October. This we have not got,or,at least,I have not 
seen it. Nowthere are the Okabena and Thompson’s seedlings I 
havenot mentioned. They are fine young trees but have not fruited 
sufficiently for me to give an opinion of their merits. Or the 
Hibernal, which is one of our hardiest trees and an early bearer, but 
I do not think the fruit will suit the requirements of the market when 
there is better. 
Now in setting out trees on a prairie soil, I like to set them from 
six to ten inches deeper than they come out from the nursery row, 
leaning them always toward the two o’clock sun, as the prevailing 
winds in summer coming from the southwest soon straighten them 
up. Butif possible keep them well leaned in that direction, and the 
trees will not scald on the southwest side. 
The distance to set them apart would vary, some requiring more 
room than others, according to their habitof growing. For instance, 
the Duchess, Hibernal, Patten’s Greening and others of that spread- 
ing habit require more room than the Wealthy, Repka and other 
varieties. But if I was to set out another orchard I would mark out 
the rows nine feet apart, and then set atree in every other mark, 
breaking joints, thus leaving the trees some twenty-two or three 
feet apart. They will soon get close enough. Then plant potatoes, 
beans, or any hoed crop and cultivate well three or four years or till 
they come into bearing, and then seed to clover and let the pigs do 
the cultivating (ringing the large ones),and you doing the mulching: 
Our Duchess orchard has not been cultivated except by pigs for 
twenty-five years, and the trees are sound and healthy, bearing 
fruit every year. 
“Who are we to get our trees from?’ I answer, “From some 
responsible nurseryman or his agent,’ and be sure he has anursery 
and raises his trees in Minnesota, so that they will be acclimated. 
Although we have had a number of pleasant winters during 
which almost any variety would flourish, yet we may have and do 
not know how soon we will get a winter like ’83 and ’84, and if so 
there would be a wonderful shrinkage in varieties and death among 
trees. 
