The Planting of the Fruit-Farm 



75 



rarely having a spread of over six feet. To-day 

 the spread is nine feet and two horses must be used. 

 A fruit-farm, in order to be both scientific and 

 practical, must nowadays be run on a generous 

 scale. The fruit-garden may be nm by hand; 

 the fruit-farm must be run by horse power. Yet 

 if the ground fruits — ^berries, tubers, and the like — 

 be planted closely and in narrow rows, and the 

 ground be kept rich and thoroughly worked, — 

 intensive cultivation, — the grower will get far 

 more from his land than does the fruit-farmer who 

 runs his farm by horse power, acre for acre. One 

 need but compare production in Germany with 

 that in America, on equal areas, to discover this. 

 But in America we have not cheap farm labor. 

 We are compelled to rely on teams and tools and 

 a few hands to run them. 



In planting, keep the roots from bruising; cut 

 injured parts clean away to escape root and branch 

 diseases. Avoid bruising the bark, the limbs, the 

 twigs. Cover bruised parts with a coating of 

 pitch, paint, or formaldehyde to keep out air and 

 water and germs, and the numberless spores of 

 fungi floating in the air and quick to take lodging 

 in the wounded plant. Even a coat of painter's 

 oil is a protection. In time the tree will heal the 

 wound, if possible. For a few years a young tree 

 or vine will flourish, then suddenly show signs of 

 disease and die before your eyes. The spores of 

 fungi got in their deadly work where you left a 

 wound of bruised bark or mangled root. Your 



