SIZE AND PREPARATION OF THE PLAT 39 



nurseries can be damaged beyond repair in a very short 

 time by the intrusion of one horse or cow, and this often 

 discourages the orchardist to attempt any serious opera- 

 tions. Interest can be maintained only where conditions 

 can be controlled. High wire fences built to keep out 

 all intruders (even poultry) are essential to the success 

 of the small nursery. If, in addition to the above, the 

 plat could be located near the residence more interest 

 would be taken. 



Size of the Plat. This will depend entirely upon cir- 

 cumstances. The average orchardist who may have thirty 

 or forty acres of fruit will need only a very small tract. 

 One acre in nursery trees will run from five thousand to 

 eight thousand plants. Ordinarily a small piece of land 

 thirty or forty feet wide and fifty long will accommodate 

 a large number of nursery trees. If the intention is to 

 grow some for sale, the size could be increased to suit 

 the needs of the individual. The beginner often makes the 

 mistake of attempting too large a tract for his first efforts. 



Preparation of the Plat. For best results this ought 

 to be done in the fall. A good coat of barnyard manure 

 or compost should be applied late in the fall and plowed 

 under, turning the furrows to a depth of eight or nine 

 inches. If the sub-soil is inclined to be hard the use of a 

 sub-soiler will help materially. The ground should be 

 levelled off, smoothed down and any uneven places filled 

 up. If the plot has been neglected for several years and 

 grown up to grasses that are hard to eradicate or is full 

 of foul weeds, one season's summer-fallow would be ad- 

 visable, Good nursery trees can only be grown where 



