The Planting of the Fruit-Farm 73 



will stand for generations and cannot be changed. 

 Straight rows look best and economize labor. 

 Trees must be in line in whatever direction the eye 

 follows them, and an orchard must be cultivated, 

 at times diagonally as well as at right angles. The 

 tree must be set with respect to its habit. This 

 slender stem you plant will become a canopy of 

 foliage and fruit, upraised on a stately trunk. 

 You must see the full-grown orchard in its infancy. 

 So the orchardist must grant ample space of earth 

 and air, for roots below and foliage above are 

 counterparts, — the two halves of the living thing 

 you plant. In fniit-raising, we cut back the top 

 and encourage spread of root in order to secure 

 concentration of vigor in fruit and foliage. We 

 must know that a rich soil means a rapidly growing, 

 large, healthy tree; a thin, poor soil means a weak- 

 ling. Therefore in planting an orchard we must 

 consider the soil. I give two distances, — the 

 greater for the richer soil: 



Apples 25 to 40 feet each way 



Pears (standard) 20 " 25 " 



