PLANTING A FIG ORCHARD. 157 
There should be no low places in which pools may form. All such 
should be filled in and leveled sufficiently to prevent stagnant water 
remaining. Such low places will prevent and retard plowing, cause 
weeds to grow, delay work generally, or they may even cause the trees 
to tip over and rot. Hills and knolls are not objectionable, provided 
the trees find sufficient moisture to bear good fruit, but low and 
soggy places should be carefully avoided, as they will prove of great 
detriment for years and be a constant expense, annoyance, and eye- 
sore. } 
This, of course, refers only to the planting of regular orchards, where 
thorough culture is necessary. 
Points to be considered in preparing the soil: 
(1) Freedom from low or stagnant water holes. 
(2) Even slope, so as to shed water. 
(3) Deep plowing and freedom from hard places left unplowed, 
accomplished by plowing in parallel lands. 
(4) Do not plow under any very dry soil. 
(5) Harrow repeatedly immediately after plowing. 
STAKING AND SQUARING THE FIELD. 
As soon as the land is in proper condition to receive the trees, the 
placing of the stakes is in order. Through experience if is found that 
the planting can be done quicker and more cheaply if the stakes are 
set previous to digging the holes for the trees. No holes should be 
dug nor trees planted until all the stakes are set. In this way any 
error can be remedied without redigging and resetting, and perfect 
lines may be had throughout the orchard. The extra expense in 
marking an orchard in this way is not great and will, it is thought, be 
more than repaid in better and quicker work and by a larger percent- 
age of living trees. If a very large orchard is to be planted it will 
pay to have an experienced surveyor set parallel rows of stakes across 
the field, about 200 feet apart, between which the farm hands may after- 
wards set the remainder of the stakes without error. When no sur- 
veyor can be found the following rules will lead to the desired result: 
The first work is to square the ground—that is, to mark out the bound- 
aries of the field in such a way that the opposite sides become abso- 
lutely parallel, and, if possible, form a right angle (90 degrees) with 
the other two parallel sides. If roads surround the place, and make 
right angles with one another, then it is necessary that the rows of 
trees should also form right angles with one another. If no important 
roads are found, or will probably be necessary in the future, then it 
is only required that the rows running in one direction should be par- 
allel, as a small deviation from the right angle will not be seen, or if 
noticed will not prove to be a detriment. 
The operation begins by first setting a row of lath along one side of 
