AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



287 



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clover, it is rich enough ; if made too rich the 

 trees are apt to make too much wood, or a 

 weak, rank, growth, which must be cut away 

 by pruning, and thus really exhaust the tree, 

 and put off its bearing period for some con- 

 siderable time. The following details will 

 suggest a proper method for the average con- 

 ditions. The planter of course must study 

 his particular case and make a judicious 

 application of these suggestions. The land 

 should be well plowed in the fall or late sum- 

 mer, as deeply as possible ; deep plowing in 

 this case is beneficial, when it might be other- 

 wise for an ordinary crop. The next thing to 

 be done is to prepare a sufficient quantity of 

 good compost of rotted leaves, sod, scrapings 

 of the barn-yard, lime, wood ashes and some 

 rotted manure. These are well mixed and 

 put into a heap ready for use. The trees are 

 then ordered to be delivered at a special time, 

 and for safety, and the proper guidance of the 

 nurseryman full and accurate directions should 

 be given for shipping. The orders should be 

 sent so as to give the nurseryman ample time 

 to ship the trees. The next work is to stake 

 out the ground, and dig the holes, two feet 

 deep, and large enough to give the roots 

 ample spread, say four feet wide. The top 

 soil should be thrown on one side by 

 itself. The compost is then hauled on to the 

 ground and a liberal quantity of It thrown 

 into the hole and spread, and partly mixed 

 with the earth in it, being left slightly raised 

 in the centre for the tree to rest upon. Every- 

 thing is now in readiness for the trees. 

 When these arrive, they should be unpacked 

 and sorted at once, and each variety laid in 

 the wagon by itself. Each variety should be 

 planted separately in a row or block. The 

 wagon is then taken to a field. The planter 

 who has a boy to assist him, takes a tree, sets 

 it firmly upon the earth in the hole so that it 

 is a little deeper than it has been in the 

 nursery, and while the assistant holds it, he 

 spreads the roots and carefully works the 

 soil among them that so they are in as natural 

 a position as possible. This is very important 

 and should be well done. After this the rest 

 of the top soil is thrown in and well trodden 

 with the feet. Then the subsoil is put in 

 with a little of the compost mixed with it and 

 thoroughly well firmed with the feet, but left 

 in a slight mound so as to turn water from the 

 stem. After all the trees have been thus 

 planted, each one should be properly pruned, 

 the young Avood being cut back one-third and 

 the head properly shaped. Fall planting, 

 which is generally preferable, should be done 

 from the 15r,h October to the 15th November, 

 and spring planting as soon as the ground is 

 free from frost and dry enough to work. 



The after treatment of a young orchard 

 should be as follows : For the first three years 

 such crops as potatoes, beans or turnips, that 

 are cultivated and manured may be grown, 

 but no others, both to manure the ground, 

 destroy weeds, and for the sake of the culti- 

 vation, the trees being hoed as the rest of the 

 crop. Afterwards the ground may be sown 

 to clover, but not to grass, as a sod is injuri- 

 ous to a young orchard, although it may be 

 permitted in an established one. 



Orchard Baler. This name is given to an in- 

 vention that promises to be of great value to 



ORC 



the fruit-growing interest of the Unites States. 

 It is a machine by which the branches of fruit 

 or other trees are tied in a pyramidal form, 

 and in this shape thatched with straw or hay, 

 as a protection in winter against the severe 

 frosts which cause so much injury to the buds 

 of Peaches and other fruit trees. Thus 

 thatched and excluded from the sun, the 

 flower buds of fruit trees will be held back 

 from opening for nearly a week, which will 

 often be sufficient to save them from late 

 spring frosts. It is claimed that Peach Trees 

 so protected never fail to produce annually a 

 crop of fruit. A pair of these machines cost 

 from $25 to $50 ; and it is claimed that two 

 men can bale and thatch fifty trees per day. 

 The time for the operation is after the leaves 

 have fallen in autumn, or any time except 

 when the limbs are frozen. Of course, it is 

 equally applicable to ornamental trees, and 

 for such trees as the Magnolia grandiflora, 

 which is rarely seen in good condition north 

 of Richmond, it would be particularly valu- 

 able. 



Orchard Grass. See Dactylis. 

 Orche'lla Weed. The common name of several 

 "species of Roccella, a genus of lichens, cele- 

 brated for their valuable properties as dye- 

 weeds. 



Orchida'ceae. A very large order of plants, and 

 one of the most natural families of the vege- 

 table kingdom. They are perennial herbaceous 

 plants or shrubs, assuming a terrestrial habit 

 in temperate countries, and in warmer lati- 

 tudes, growing on trees (Epiphytes), or fixing 

 themselves to stones. Oivhids are found in 

 almost all parts of the world, and are noted 

 for the peculiar shapes and diversity of their 

 flowers. According to the authors of the 

 " Genera Plantarum," the order contains over 

 330 genera and 5,000 species. 

 Orchid Culture. The following article on Orchid 

 culture was written in 1888 for " Gardening for 

 Pleasure," by Mr. William Grey of Kenwood, Al- 

 bany. As he is known to be one of the most suc- 

 cessful growers of Orchids in this or indeed any 

 other country, his experience may prove valu- 

 able to the more skillful as well as to the 

 tyro in their culture. 



The taste for cultivating Orchids is rap- 

 idly increasing. Every season, dozens of 

 amateurs already possessing green-houses 

 begin the culture of Orchids. To be 

 successful, careful attention and some knowl- 

 edge of the subject by actual practice are nec- 

 essary ; but as most of our gardeners are such 

 as have had European training, nearly all that 

 are proficient in their business have a knowl- 

 edge of Orchid culture. It is about the only 

 part of floriculture that I have had no actual 

 practice in, so that lam glad to avail myself of 

 the experience of Mr. Grey, who kindly has 

 written the following brief instructions : 



The best twelve well-known kinds are, 

 Cattleya Trianice, Dendrobium nobile, Dendro- 

 bium Wardianum, Lcelia anceps, Ccelogyne, 

 cristata, Lycaste Skinneri, Odontoglossum 

 Alexandras, Odontoglossum Pescatorei, Uypripe- 

 dium insigne, Phaius Wallichii, Calanthe 

 Veitchii, Calanthe vestita. The next twelve 

 are Cattelya Mossice, Cozlogyne, ocellata, Cypri- 

 pedium Spicerianum, Cypripedium villosum, 

 Dendrobium crasninode, Phaius grandifolius, 

 Phakenopsis amabilis, Phalcenopsis Schilleriana, 



