ORCHARDS. 



89 



in ten years supply scientific teachers for at least one head school at the seat of 

 Government of every county, if not in every district school ; and why should not 

 the great State of New- York demand that much, out of the $4,000,000 we shall 

 be getting from the sale of the Public Lands ? Look at the amount she contributes 

 by her consumption of dutiable articles to the treasure of the Union. — Well, we 

 have no time to dwell on the subject at which the coldest bosom must kindle 

 with anxiety. We shall wait, hopeful and impatient, to hear what Governor 

 Wright will say on the subject. 



ORCHARDS. 



An orchard is an inclosure devoted to 

 the cultivation of hardy fruit-ti-ees. In it may 

 be, as standards, apple-trees, most sorts of 

 pears and plums, and all sorts of cheiTies, 

 which four are the chief .orchard fi-uits ; but 

 to have a complete orchard, also quinces, 

 medlars, mulberries, sei'vice-ti'ees, filberts, 

 nuts, barbeilies, walnuts and chestinits must 

 be included. The latter two are particularly 

 applicable for the boundaries of orchai-ds, to 

 screen the other trees from impetuous winds. 

 A general orchard, composed of all the before- 

 mentioned fiaiit trees, shoidd consist of a 

 double portion of apple-trees. With respect 

 to the situation and aspect for an orchai'd, 

 avoid very low, damp situations as much as 

 the natiu'e of the place will admit ; for in 

 very wet soils no fruit-trees will prosper, nor 

 the fioiit be fine ; but a moderately low situa- 

 tion, free from copious wet, may be more eh- 

 gible than an elevated gi-ound, as being less 

 exposed to tempestuous winds; tliough a 

 situation having a small declivity is very de- 

 sirable, especially if its aspect incline toward 

 the east south-east, or south, which are ratli- 

 er more eligible than a westerly aspect ; but 

 a north aspect is the worst of all for an 

 orchard, unless particularly compensated by 

 the peculiar temperament or good quality 

 of the soil. Any common field or pasture 

 that produces good crops of corn, grass, or 

 kitchen-garden vegetables, is suitable ibr an 

 orchard; if it should prove of a loamy nature, 

 it will be a particular advantage ; any soil, 

 however, of a good quality, not too light and 

 dry, too heavy, stubborn, or wet, but of a 

 medium nature, fi-iablo and open, with not 

 less than one spade deep of good staple, will 

 be proper. 



Preparation of the Grou.sd. — The prep- 

 ai-ation of the ground for the reception of tlio 

 ti'ees, is by trenching one or two spades, as the 

 soil will admit. And if in grass, turn the sward 

 clean to the bottom of the ti'ench, which will 

 prove an excellent manure. The ground nuust 

 be fenced securely against cattle, &c., either 

 with a good ditch and hedge, or with a paliug- 

 lence, as may be most convenient. 



Mkthod of Planting the Trees. — The 



best season for planting all the sorts of fruit- 



ti'ees is autumn, soon after the liiU of the leaf, 



from about the latter end of October uutil 



(185) 



December, thougli it may be performed any 

 time in open weather, from October until 

 March. 



Let several varieties of each particular spe- 

 cies be chosen that ripen their fruit at diiferent 

 times, from the earliest to the latest, according 

 to the nature of the different sorts, that there 

 may be a sufficient supply of every sort dui-- 

 ing then" proper season ; and if apples and. 

 pears, in particular, choose a much greater 

 quantity of the autumnal and late-ripening 

 kinds than the early sorts ; but most of all of 

 apples ; for the summer-ripening fruit is of 

 short duration, only proper for temporary ser- 

 vice : but the later-ripening kinds keep sound 

 some considerable time for autumn and winter 

 use. The arrangement of the ti-ees in the 

 orchai'd must be in rows, each kind sepa- 

 rate, at distances, according to the nature of 

 growth of the different sorts ; but for the 

 larger-growing kinds, such as apples, pears, 

 plums, chen-ies, &c., they should stand from 

 twenty-five to thii'ty or forty feet every way 

 asunder, though twenty-five or thirty feet at 

 most is a reasonable distance for all these 

 kinds. Each species and its varieties should 

 generally be in rows by themselves, the bet- 

 ter to suit their respective modes of growth. 

 Stake the new-planted trees, to support them 

 in their proper position, and secure them 

 from bemg rocked to and fro by the wind, 

 which would greatly retai-d their rootuig 

 afresh, placing two or tlu-ee sti'ong, tall stakes 

 to each tree ; but the most eff'ectual method 

 is to have tiiree stakes to each, placed in a 

 ti'ismgle, meeting at top ne;u' the liead of the 

 ti'ee, wrapping a hay-band round that part of 

 the stem to prevent its being barked by the 

 stakes or tj'ing ; tiien tie the stakes at top 

 close to the tree with some proper biuidage, 

 bringing it close about the stem and sialics 

 together, over the hay-wrapping, so as to se- 

 cure the tree firmly in an erect posture. If 

 laid down ii( gnuss, no cattle should be turned 

 in to gi-azo at large, unless the stem of each 

 tree is previously well secured with posts and 

 railing, or wattled with thoni-bushes, espe- 

 cially in young orchards, otherwise they will 

 bark the trees; nor should largo cattle be 

 turned into orchards where the branches of 

 the trees are yet low and within their reach. 

 [Abcrcrombie. 



