28 



berries Sift, apart, and strawberries, at 33 

 inches x i6i inches, the coulters should be 

 set 33 inches apart. When the field has 

 been ruled out in one direction it is treated 

 in a similar way at right angles. In this 

 way the position for each tree and bush 

 is cross marked, also the line for the 

 strawberry plants. The above is the 

 method adopted by the larger fruit 

 growers of Kent, who are generally kind 

 enough to lend their markers to their smal- 

 ler neighbours. This marking machine 

 will rule out about 10 acres a day, and 

 the result is very good. The machine costs 

 about £10. A corn drill can be used for 

 the purpose, but it is not so good. 



If the four sides of the field are carefully 

 measured and staked off in distances, the 

 land may be marked out with the plough 

 for tree planting. Some of the large 

 American orchards are set out in this way 

 with apple trees 30 feet apart. The work 

 is more easily and exactly done if an 

 intermediate sight pole is set a few rods 

 from each end, so that when steering 

 these two poles are kept in line. 



Setting Out by Stakes or Pegs. 



If the land is to be set out by stakes, it 

 is most conveniently done by three per- 

 sons. The four sides are set off at right 



^-nA 



For this purpose building laths make very 

 convenient intermediate stakes, with taller 

 poles with flags at the corners. After the 

 four outside lines have been marked off, 

 set off the other two lines, EF and GH, 

 across the centre of the enclosure, and 

 place laths at the spots where the cross 

 lines cut these. 



The diagram is copied from L. H. 

 Bailey's excellent book, " Principles of 

 Fruit Growing." Three men then peg out 

 the stations for the trees. One man (Z) 

 being armed with laths or pegs goes to 

 the stations for the trees, and after hav- 

 ing the lath or peg sighted from each 

 direction by X and Y, who sight across at 

 right angles to one another, puts in the 

 pegs where he is directed, and the man 

 (X) going alone the line DB, directs the 

 peg-sticker (Z) looking across to the oppo- 

 site line C.A, past the intermediates on 

 G.H. The third man (Y) goes along BA 

 and looking across to the stations on D.C. 

 and the intermediates on F.E, guides the 

 peg-sticker where to place his pegs, the 

 peg-sticker getting his pegs correct from 

 both directions and so on. To obtain the 

 best result it is advisable to peg out the 

 whole of the land before commencing to 

 dig the holes. 



When the land is thus pegged out 

 several parties can work at digging out 

 holes and planting. Before digging the 

 hole it is a good method to use a planting 



Diagram Showing One Method of Setting 

 Out an Orchard. 



"^ ^^ ^^ "°^- 



Setting Board and Tree in Position. 



angles, and each side is measured off at 

 the distance the trees are to be apart. 



board, placing the central notch against 

 the peg and inserting pegs at the ends of 



