Laying Out the Orchard 29 



sides to do the necessary work without crowding against 

 the boundary fence. It is better always to plant the trees 

 so that they have the same, or nearly the same, distance 

 on all sides, rather than to have twice the distance in one 

 direction as in the other. 



There are a number of different ways of laying out an 

 orchard and some of the simple plans are very satisfactory. 

 In using any plan the effort should be to get all of the 

 trees set in perfectly straight rows, so that they may be 

 sighted over in any direction and perfect rows can be seen. 

 This is simply to improve appearances. 



Begin the rows sufficiently far inside the fence line to 

 enable all operations to be done without crowding against 

 the fence when the trees get large. This will vary a good 

 deal with circumstances, but ought to be not less than 

 twenty or twenty-five feet. 



Along one side of the orchard, say the north, lay off 

 a line indicating with stakes that can be plainly seen. 

 Along the east side of the orchard lay off another line at 

 right angles with the first, and mark it plainly in the same 

 manner. Lay off two more sets of lines in the same man- 

 ner through the middle of the orchard and on the other 

 two sides, making all lines at right angles and erecting 

 substantial stakes that can be plainly seen. Along each of 

 the lines now put in a stake at the exact place the tree is 

 to occupy. This will make three guide stakes in every tree 

 row, and with a plow following along each line of stakes 

 the tree rows can be quickly laid off ready for planting. 

 A shovel plow is most useful for this marking, especially 

 where a large area is to be marked off at one time. 



Another plan that works very satisfactorily, but takes a 

 little longer is to lay off the first rows as above described 

 and instead of plowing lines across the field a small stake 

 is placed at the exact spot a tree is to occupy. This has the 

 advantage of enabling the planter to line up all of his rows 

 perfectly straight before a tree is planted. In either case 

 the holes are dug with a spade, and in the latter case the 

 tree is set in the exact position of the stake by use of a 

 board some three or four feet long having a hole in each 



