H2 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Another consideration, too, is the slope of the land to be planted. 

 Our hillside fruit growers in regions of heavy winter storms some- 

 times plant slopes, which, if plowed deep in the fall, are apt to wash 

 badly during the heavy winter rains. On such slopes it is better 

 to plow late in the winter, after the heavy storms are over, and plant 

 when the soil has become warm and mellow. 



THE OPERATION OF PLANTING 



Tree planting should be carefully and well done, but it need not 

 necessarily be slowly done. With a kind soil deeply worked and 

 just in the right condition for planting, trees may be put in well 

 and rapidly. Two men work together at a decided advantage. 

 Using the straight "tree-setter," which has already been described, 

 one takes each end, and as soon as the center notch encloses the 

 tree stake, the setter stakes are pushed into the soil, the "setter" 

 is laid aside, and the two men, taking up their shovels or spades, 

 begin first around the outside of the hole, throwing all the surface 

 dirt on the same side of the hole and leaving the tree stake to be 

 thrown out last, because its remaining serves to center the hole. 

 The lower soil is now thrown to the other side of the hole, and 

 when depth enough is reached, the soil at the bottom of the hole 

 is loosened up to the depth of a shovel-thrust, without removing 

 it from the hole. A shovelful or two of the surface soil is thrown 

 into the center of the hole, being allowed to remain higher 

 in the center, because this generally furnishes a cushion about 

 the natural shape of the under surface of the root system of 

 the tree. Now replace the tree-setter upon its end pegs, let one 

 man hold the tree with its stem in the central notch in the setter, 

 and while the other man shovels in the surface earth rather slowly 

 at first, the man who .holds the tree with one hand will spread out 

 the roots, pulverize and pack the earth around them, being sure 

 that no cavities are left under any of the roots, but that their sur- 

 faces everywhere come in contact with the soil, and that they spread 

 out as widely as possible. The earth is being continuously put in 

 by the shoveler, and when the roots are covered the planter steps 

 in the hole and carefully firms the soil down upon the roots by 

 tramping (especially at the cut ends of the roots around the outer 

 side of the hole), at the same time judging of the perpendicularity 

 of the tree with his eye. When this is done, both men use their 

 shovels and fill up the hole with the earth taken from below, being 

 sure to leave the last few inches at the surface pulverized, but 

 untramped, unless the soil be very light so that tramping will not 

 overpack it. Some one said long ago that one should not plant a 

 tree as he does a post, ramming down the earth to the very top of 

 the hole. Many trees are doubtless ruined by over zeal in this 

 respect. 



