1891.] ESSAYS. 107 



those making a fairly vigorous growth, three years from 

 the bud, with straight trunk and budded on seedlin"- stocks. 

 Many of the trees now grown in the nurseries are root grafts, 

 these grafts are set during the winter months and planted out 

 in the Spring and in order to bring the root up near the surface 

 are usually set on an inclination of about forty-tive degrees, 

 thus throwing the roots out upon one side. In planting out 

 young trees it is much more important to secure an evenly 

 distributed set of fibrous roots reaching in all directions than 

 any particular shaped top as you can easily form the latter as 

 you wish after the tree commences making growth, but over the 

 direction of the roots after the tree is planted you have no 

 control. 



The care of the orchard while the trees are making their 

 growth will depend upon circumstances, but if the best results 

 are to be obtained the ground must be kept under cultivation 

 at least as far as the roots extend around the trees. If in a 

 location where there is a near market for the small-fruits they 

 may all be successfully grown among the trees ; the currant is 

 especially adapted to cultivation under such conditions and will 

 continue longer than any other fruit to return a profitable crop 

 as it thrives best in partial shades. As the growth of the trees 

 is the primary object fertilizers must be applied in proportion 

 to the crops taken from the land. 



The small growing fruit trees may be grown among the 

 apple trees ; the peach, plum and quince set in rows each way 

 at half the distance between the apple trees, which should be at 

 least thirty feet each way, will not during the average lifetime 

 of these trees interfere with the main object in view. A more 

 economic method may be followed, as follows : Set currant 

 bushes a distance of four feet apart one way between the trees 

 and seed the ground with grass, keeping under cultivation a 

 strip five or six feet wide the first year and turning under every 

 year a furrow of the grass turf upon each side of the grass 

 plat as the tree roots extend and require the room ; the hay 

 and currants if properly cared for should make a satisfactory 

 return for the use of the land while the trees are making their 

 growth . 



