CHAPTER XX 

 SETTING THE ORCHARD AND CARING FOR IT 



After a site has been chosen and the land prepared, the 

 next thing in order is to lay out the field in a definite plan and 

 set the trees. However, before this is done there must have 

 been some attention given to the kinds of fruit, the varieties 

 and the selection of trees. For family use there ought to be 

 a few trees of all kinds of fruit that will grow in the locality. 

 There ought to be, if it is possible to grow them, apples, pears, 

 peaches, plums, and cherries. Where fruit is grown only for 

 the use of the family not many trees of any one kind will be 

 needed, but two or more trees of each kind will afford a vari- 

 ety of tree fruits as well as give fruit at different times of the 

 season. In the selection of varieties, the farmer or grower 

 needs to take into account the tastes of the family, the adapta- 

 tion of the varieties to the climate, their yielding power, and 

 their time of ripening fruit. If care is given to this last point, 

 there can be fresh ripe fruit for use nearly the entire summer. 



Where a grower is raising fruit for market, he will usually 

 raise only one or two kinds of fruit, and only a few varieties 

 of these kinds. He will choose such kinds and varieties as 

 sell well on the market and by reason of their handsome 

 appearance and good quality bring big prices. He will also 

 want varieties that are large yielders. To the grower raising 

 fruit for home use only, the quality of the fruit is important. 



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