: OUR MISTAKES IN ORCHARDING. 469 
OUR MISTAKES IN ORCHARDING. 
EDSON GAYLORD, NORA SPRINGS, IOWA. 
The first and most important requsite to success in orcharding is 
a good location; this being secured, half the evils are shunned. A 
location that gives the most even temperature, that is the least sub- 
ject to sudden changes, especially from hot to cold, a high elevation 
on a northeast slope, with a heavy, rich clay loam is best. Sudden 
drops close alongside are an advantage, and if filled with deep 
water all the better. A large body of water or timber on the south- 
west much enhances the value of a site over one having opposite 
conditions, A heavy body of water on the west or north, often 
makes the line between success and failure caused by late spring 
frosts; while a thick grove on the west and north often brings fail- 
ure, where except for the grove the crop might have been abund- 
ant. Itisa deplorable fact that three-fourths of our old orchard 
sites have been selected about our homes in the most unfavorable 
places—such as slope to the sun—and are the most thoroughly pro- 
tected, cosy sites found. The labor we have given in shutting in 
orchards on the west and north and opening them on the south 
has been worse than thrown away. 
Asarule, we have ruined our orchards by misplaced kindness. 
Instead of setting our trees with heaviest branches on the sun side, 
we are growing them thus till bearing age. We have followed that 
charming word, ‘symmetry’”—a word so many fruit writers seemed 
to have swallowed many years ago,and up to date it seems so hard to 
forget. We have set and grown for symmetry, but our trees have all _ 
the time rebelled, and, with the persistence of a hungry tiger, they 
have sent their roots and branches at once over to the northeast 
side. They have been ina desperate search for cooler air and damper 
atmosphere. Had we protected them by growing their heaviest 
branches on the sun side and by frequent and thorough cultivation 
or heavy mulching, our trees would not have played truants, as they 
have, by growing in the wrong direction. One strong limb grown 
to the sun is worth a dozen growing from it. We have revived many 
trees by trimming to let in the sunand air. In the East this is all 
right, in the Northwest it is all wrong. They have too much cool, 
damp air, and need more sun; we have too much warm air and hot 
sun. They train their trees to let in the hot air and sun, we to keep 
them out. 
While we have an unmeasured amount of scorching southwest 
winds, they are scarcely troubled with any. In their cool, damp 
soil, trees need setting more shallow than here, where our soil is so 
rich, loose, black and warm. With our light snows and excessive 
freezing, with our trees all started on tender roots, how can they 
help but perish? It is a mystery not that they have been injured 
as they have, but that they have lived atall. When we all see and 
know that we must have trees grown on hardy roots, with hardy 
stems, grown to the sun and not fromit, we shall meet with such 
success as will astonish the tree croakers and put the defenders of 
Horace Greely to their wits’ends to keep us from growing choice 
apples in the Northwest. 
