P A C I IM C T R P: R a N i:) VINE 



deciduous plaiitiut; has been tothese 

 fruits. There is yet a full month 

 in which tree planting may be safely 

 done, especially as the season has so 

 far been a cold one and all classes 

 of trees are yet dormant. Usually 

 we have very warm weather in Jan- 

 uary or February, which starts the 

 sap flowing and trees begin to throw 

 out leaves in March or even earlier. 

 We have escaped this warm spell 

 this season and in consequence trees 

 are later both in putting out their 

 foliage and blooming. In taking 

 trees from the nursery row for the 

 orchard, a clay bath should be pre- 



much better results than older ones. 

 Many people in their haste think 

 that by getting three or four year 

 old trees with a big top they will 

 have fruit so much earlier than by 

 planting out a little one year old 

 switch. But the small tree will get 

 rooted, and soon overtake the bigger 

 ones, make a more thrifty growth, 

 and give better results. In setting 

 out young trees, too, they should be 

 cut back to from 14 to 16 inches, 

 and made to throw out their lateral 

 branches as close to the ground as 

 possible, leaving sufficient space to 

 cultivate under them. This is ad- 



able. By protecting the young 

 trunks from the sun untilthey have 

 formed tops large enough for their 

 own protection, this is avoided. 

 Except in the case of some dwarf 

 varieties, no trees should be planted 

 closer than 20 feet apart. Apples 

 should be 30 and walnuts and figs 

 not nearer than 40 feet. 



In setting trees in permanent or- 

 chard rows, they should be planted 

 at the same depth at which they 

 grew in the nursery. A liberal hole 

 should be prepared for them, and 

 the top soil be placed in the bottom 

 of the hole. The roots should be 



pared, and as soon as the young 

 trees are removed their roots should 

 be immersed in this puddle. The 

 clay forms a thin coating over the 

 roots, keeps them from direct con- 

 tact with the air, and preserves 

 them from danger of drying out. 

 Trees pufldled in this manner will 

 keep fresh very much longer than 

 those dug up and exposed to the 

 air, and even if ])l:inted directly they 

 give better results than nn])uddled 

 stock. In selecting trees for plant- 

 ing always get young stock. Trees 

 one year from the bud will give 



vantageous for several reasons. A 

 low pruned tree shades the ground 

 and conserves the moisture, it shades 

 its own trunk and prevents sun 

 scald, with the consetiuent borers 

 and decay, and the fruit is more 

 easily gathered. In planting young 

 trees, protection from the sun should 

 be provided for the fi'st season or 

 two. Borers lay their eggs on the 

 sunnv side of the >'oung trees, and 

 if these hatch they soon enter into 

 the wood, and the tree is ruined. 

 It may as well be taken up and 

 burned, for it will never be profit- 



carefully spread out. By this means 

 the young trees will have ample 

 room, and good soil for the first 

 year's root growth, and this is half 

 the battle. With no set-back the 

 first season, half the struggle of the 

 mature tree is over. A tree badly 

 planted has a hard struggle the first 

 >ear, and if it survives, it never 

 fully recovers. A few minutes ex- 

 tra time spent in setting out a young 

 tree is time well invested and pays 

 many hundred per cent in the long 

 run. 



