34 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



are set out. Do not leave this work to be done after the plants 

 are set for it costs more to do it then and the plants wiix very 

 likely be injured in the process. 



(b) New land should be thoroughly cleared of stumps and 

 roots before the orchard is planted, and better results will be 

 obtained if the land is cultivated for a year or two before the 

 trees are set. 



(c) Old land should be in good physical condition and 

 should contain a good supply of humus. While heavy fertiliza- 

 tion is not necessary, the soil should be rich enough to enable 

 the trees to make a good growth, but must not be too rich in 

 nitrogen. 



(d) Fall plowing is almost always desirable, whether the 

 trees are to be set in the fall or the spring. If the planting is 

 to be done in the fall, the plowing should be completed several 

 weeks previous, to give the soil time to settle. Deep plowing is 

 usually best, as it is desirable to have the soil mellow and easily 

 penetrated by roots to a considerable depth. If the subsoil is a 

 hardpan clay it is often desirable to explode dynamite in the 

 holes to loosen the lower layers. 



Time to Plant. 



(a) In severe locations and with the more tender kinds of 

 fruits early spring is undoubtedly the best time for planting. 

 It is also the best time for the beginner, as there is less liability 

 of failure in spring planting. 



(b) For the hardy fruits, such as apples, plums and pears, 

 in sections where there is little danger of winter injury, autumn 

 is possibly the best season for planting. 



(c) It is often desirable to plant in autumn even though 

 extra care is required in order to save the crowding of work in 

 the spring. In severe locations autumn planting may often be 

 practiced successfully, providing the stems of plants are laid 

 flat on the ground after planting and covered with a few inches 

 of earth, and afterwards mulched on the approach of winter. 

 In doing such work the location of the top of the tree should 

 be marked with a stake so that it may be found easily in the 

 spring when it is to be uncovered. Autumn planting is often 

 a convenient practice and may save the necessity of doing such 

 work in the spring when fruit growers are generally crowded. 



