APPLES 



157 



Holes may be dug and trees set at once 

 or stakes may be driven at the various 

 marks. 



Another system of marking off squares 

 is to use a common turning plow. First 

 of all stakes are placed around the field 

 along the boundary lines similar to that 

 describeil for the wire method except that 

 the ends of the field are staked as well as 

 the sides. The first stake in each line, 

 on its respective side, is placed 25 feet 

 from the true corner of the field. (See 

 Fig. 1, p. 156. Yoeman system.) Furrows 

 are made lengthwise and crosswise in line 

 with opposite stakes, the position of the 

 tree being located at the intersection of 

 these furrows. With a good steady-walk- 

 ing team and a firm hand to hold the 

 reins, rows may be made comparatively 

 straight. However, it is necessary to 

 align the trees by sighting in order to 

 get straight rows. The greatest endorse- 

 ment that this method has is that it 

 greatly facilitates the digging of holes. 



Still another method used is to locate 

 stakes around the field as in the preced- 

 ing case and then establish a row of 

 stakes through the middle of the field 

 each way in line with all side and end 

 stakes respectively, but in such a man- 

 ner that none of these stakes come where 

 trees are to be set. After this, one man 

 may stake out the orchard by himself for 

 he has always two pairs of stakes running 

 at right angles with each other with 

 which to align himself for each row of 

 trees in the orchard. Places for digging 

 the holes for the trees may be readily 

 located and the latter practice of using 

 this system is very simple as no small 

 stakes for individual trees are needed. 



Hexagon System 



Since an orchard laid out in hexagons has 

 all of its trees equidistant, the first essential 

 device for this work is a triangle, the length 

 of each side of which is the desired dis- 

 tance between two rows of trees. Usu- 

 ally this triangle is constructed by the 

 use of three pieces of flexible wire joined 

 together at the three corners by rings one 

 and one-half or two inches in diameter. 

 (See Fig. 4, p. 154.1 Measured irom the 

 middle of each ring, each side should cor- 



respond exactly with the distance between 

 the trees. A triangle constructed in this 

 manner works very well on comparatively 

 level ground but for sloping ground it is 

 usually best to make the triangle of wood. 

 Three well-seasoned lx2-inch pine strips, 

 each two inches shorter than the distance 

 the trees are to be planted, are nailed 

 firmly and braced together, forming an 

 equilateral triangle. Care should be taken 

 to have the sides of the face of this tri- 

 angle on the same plane. At each corner 

 of the triangle a pine board 6x6 inches is 

 nailed, an inch hole is bored In each 

 board in such a manner that measured 

 from the center of the holes each side 

 corresponds exactly with the distances the 

 trees are to be planted. 



How to Use Triangle 



In using the triangle it is necessary to 

 stake out one row by line at one side of 

 the field, after which the triangle serves 

 to locate all other stakes. Three men 

 must carry the triangle, one at each ring. 

 By placing two of the rings separately 

 over two established stakes a third stake 

 is established. This process is repeated 

 until the entire field has been staked. 

 Where it is desired to use hexagons on 

 sloping or hilly ground a plumb-line and 

 carpenter's level must be used in connec- 

 tion with the wooden triangle. Each 

 time that the triangle is moved it is lev- 

 eled and the plumb line hung at the cor- 

 ner where the ground is lowest. By this 

 method the third stake may be exactly 

 located in reference to the other stakes. 



The Quincunx System and De-rice 



The quincunx system is only a modifica- 

 tion of the square system. In placing the 

 rows of stakes at the side of the field it 

 is necessary to place an additional stake 

 midway between each two stakes described 

 in the preliminary staking for squares. 

 The marked wire described for lay- 

 ing out the squares has an addi- 

 tion mark or loop placed upon it, which 

 measured from the loop previously de- 

 scribed is half the distance that exists be- 

 tween the permanent trees. In other 

 words, if the permanent trees are 40 feet 

 apart, then this additional mark or loop 

 would be 20 feet from the end of the loop. 



