424 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



PLANTING ORCHARDS. 



RECENT bulletin issued by the Cornell Experiment Station, by 

 L. A. Baily, treats this important subject at some length. We 

 condense some of the more important paragraphs as follows : 



Preparation of Land. — It is generally best to put the land in 

 hoed crops the season before planting, as most soils need the 

 cultivation to bring them into a mellow and uniform condition. If the subsoil 

 is hard and impervious, plow very deep, and in some cases, as for dwarf pears, 

 subsoiling will pay well. Lands which hold surface water must be tile drained, 

 whether flat or rolling. 



When to Plant. — My own opinion is that fall planting is generally prefer- 

 able to spring planting upon thoroughly drained soils, particularly for the hardy 

 tree fruits, like apples, pears, and plums ; and if the ground is in good condition 

 and the stock well matured, peaches can sometimes be set in October with 

 success. The trees for fall planting should be well matured. Some nurserymen 

 strip the leaves from trees before growth is complete, in order to put the trees 

 on the market for September delivery. This weakens the trees and is the cause 

 of many failures. Place your orders for trees in August and September, with 

 orders to let the trees stand unmolested till the leaves begin to fall. Get every- 

 thing ready, and plant the trees as soon as delivered, without heeling in. Trees 

 are mature enough to take up, in New York, in late September or early October. 

 Unless all conditions are right, spring planting is safest. 



Distance Apart. — Do not set too close. Trees are wide feeders. Roots 

 nor branches should interfere. Do not set aside rows close to fences. Trees 

 must be sprayed, and they should be planted so as to be most easily accessible. 

 The following represents the outside average limit when the trees are allowed to 

 take their natural form : 



Apples 40 feet each way. 



Pears, standard 20 to 25 ft. 



Pears, dwarf 12 ft. to 1 rod. 



Quinces . 1 rod. 



Peaches 20 ft. 



Plums 20 ft. 



Apricots 20 ft. 



Grapes 6 x 8 to 8 x 1 0. 



Currants , . . . 4 x 6 to H x 8. 



Blackberries . 4 x 7 to 6 x 9. 



Raspberries 3 x 6 to 5 x 8. 



Where the soil is strong and the grower makes a thorough work of cultivat- 

 ing, fertilizing and pruning, these distances may be reduced somewhat, except 

 with apples. In general it is not best to plant shorter-lived trees between, but 

 a fisrt-class orchardist may do so with profit. 



