164 FRUIT RANCHING. 



trees will unfailingly find out and utilise as soon as 

 the trees are big enough. The illustration, *' A 

 Successful Orchard Among the Stones " will demon- 

 strate clearly that I am making no exaggerated or mis- 

 leadinsr statements. The orchard which is shown in 

 the illustration is famous for its cherry trees. In one 

 corner there is a solid block of them, and when they 

 are in blossom they make a picture that is worth travel- 

 ling a long way to see. 



Having thoroughly cleared the land of trees, 

 scrub (chiefly by burning), and stones, and ploughed 

 and harrowed it, the next operation ought to be the 

 sowing of a crop of clover, 121bs. to the acre, in July 

 or August if the ground is only moist enough — that 

 is to say, as soon as rain falls. This crop will then 

 be ploughed under in the following spring, and thus 

 supply the ingredient that the virgin soil of the 

 Kootenays principally lacks, humus — that is, de- 

 cayed or disintegrated vegetable (or animal) matter. 

 If there should be a supply of good stable manure 

 available (which is seldom the case) it will serve the 

 same purpose as the clover. It must be admitted, 

 however, that the majority of planters proceed to 

 plant without sowing clover. 



Assuming that the preparation of the ground is 

 sufficiently advanced, the fruit grower may plant his 

 trees in the fall of his first year. Apple trees ought 

 to be planted 30 feet apart each way; that is to say, 

 the rows should be 30 feet from each other, and the 

 trees also 30 feet from each other in the rows. As the 

 young apple tree will not for some few years by any 

 means cover all the intervening space, it is usual to 

 plant other fruit trees in between the apple trees. 



