MAKING AN ORCHARD. 165 



The varieties chosen to fill these spaces may be the 

 apple known as Wagner, which comes into bearing 

 early, and will yield several useful crops before 

 having to be cut out; also peaches, apricots, and 

 pears. I see no reason why black and red currants, 

 as w^ell as gooseberries, should not be used for this 

 purpose, gaps being left at convenient intervals to 

 enable the rancher to get his implements backwards 

 and forwards. But raspberries should not be grown 

 amongst other fruit trees, owing to the habit which 

 their roots have of spreading underground. Rasp- 

 berries should always be grown in a patch by them- 

 selves. It must be distinctly borne in mind that, 

 whatever the fruit trees planted for fillers, these must 

 be cut out as soon as the main crop apples require 

 the space, though it will probably be possible to leave 

 them for ten or twelve years. Sour, or the Alorello, 

 varieties of cherries, as well as pears, should be 

 planted about 20 feet apart, and sweet cherries require 

 eight to ten feet more space. Peaches, apricots, 

 plums, and prunes may all be planted at intervals 

 of 20 feet or so. The number of trees needed to cover 

 an acre of ground, planting them 30 feet apart, is 

 50; planting 20 feet apart, it is 109. The cost of 

 planting an acre of apple trees may be put generally 

 at from $12^ (50s.) to $25 (£5).' Pears will cost 

 rather more; peaches and plums rather less; and 

 cherries from $20 (£4) to $40 (£8). 



The young trees will need no protection during 

 the winter beyond what the snow affords. But in 

 the following year they will require to be mulched 

 during the hot, dry weather. The best method is 

 cultivation ; but then it must be cultivation per- 



