THE ORCHARD. 169 



there is a greater space left for the admission of light and 

 air, and trees so planted may be at less distances than in 

 the other. The operation of planting is more compli- 

 cated than that of the square, the rows not being the 

 same distance apart as the trees are in the row. The 

 first thing to be done is to find the two measures. Sup- 

 pose, for instance, we propose to plant a plot of ground 

 one hundred feet square, and to have the trees twenty- 

 five feet apart every way, we make a triangle of wood, 

 A) .5, Z>, each side of which is twenty-five feet ; we then 

 measure the distance from the angle B to the centre of 

 the opposite side at C, and this gives us the distance be- 

 tween the rows, which will be about twenty-one feet. 

 This will be called the small measure ; and with this we 

 measure off on two sides the distances for the rows, and 

 put down a stake at each. We then commence on the 

 first row, and with the long (twenty-five feet) measure 

 mark off the places for the trees, and put down a stake to 

 each. The measurements must be made with exactness, 

 in order to have the plantation present a regular appear- 

 ance, as in fig. 94. 



8th. Selection of Trees for the Market 01* Commercial 

 Orchard. The remarks made in reference to the selec- 

 tion of standard trees for the family orchard, may be 

 applied with equal propriety to these ; but the orchardist 

 must be supposed to have invested a considerable amount 

 of capital, and probably devotes his entire attention to 

 his trees, and depends upon them for his support. It is, 

 therefore, a great object with him to have early returns 

 in the form of products. An orchard of standard apples 

 will not produce any considerable quantity of fruit before 

 the eighth or tenth year, nor pears before the twelfth or 

 fifteenth year. In the mean time, it is highly desirable 

 to occupy the ground amongst the trees in some way that 

 will at least bear the expenses of cultivation. If this 

 8 



