^t^^ 



1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



337 



Setting an Orchard. 



The following article wbich we prepared for 

 tlip Cli'cHgo Tribune, we deem of too much value 

 to be lo-t in the files of a daily paper, and there- 

 fore iraiisftr it to the Illinois Farmer, and com- 

 mend it to the careful attention of our readers. 



Ed. 



The time for tree setting is near at hand, and 

 so suoa as a he ivy fr-st checks ihe growth by 

 loo eniiig the footstalks of the leaves, uo further 

 time .-hould he lost. -In the course of tenU.xs 

 at fartiiest this will doubtless occur iti neirly all 

 P'Hits of the State. There is a prejudice against 

 aut mil !^etting of fruit trees in the north pait of 

 the tjtate, but ihis, we su>pect, has been occasion- 

 ed t>y the purchase of trees from the East; but 

 as most of the trees now set aie home grown, we 

 may consider the diffurence and act acccrdingly. 



Eastern trees should never be put in the or 

 chard in the fall, iu Northern and Central I lin- 

 ois, lor the reason that they are grown in a cli- 

 mate more moist and of a lower temperature ; 

 adJed to this, in too many cases, they have been 

 stimulate 1 by underdra ning, rich manures and 

 higii culture; their growth is late and succulent, 

 and ic is impossible for them to withstand the 

 sudden changes of our severe winte s. A'l such 

 tree^ !-liou'd either be placed in a dry cellar with 

 tiieir roots packed in earth, or covered up with 

 earth, root sirsd branch, in some dry, sheltered 

 plact', and set out in the spring, when they will 

 m-k a g' od growth and ripen up their wood 

 surti ;icn!ly to bear the rigor of our winters. We 

 do u >l bel eve that five per cent, of eastern grown 

 tre-'s, set out in the fall, in the north half of the 

 Sia e, have ever stood the test and come into 

 bearing, and yet we have great faith in trees not 

 too much stimulated, and thus protected the first 

 winter, giving good satisfaction. In New York 

 the growth is arrested by frost, and the unripen- 

 ed w )od is thus gradually hardened by repeated 

 lig: t frosts, and when in the nursery, further 

 prr tccted by the snow covering. In many cases 

 the i.urserymen do not wait for frost, and the 

 leav 's are stripped off by hand, the trees taken 

 up. I acKed in bales or boxes, and shipped West; 

 to s t these trees out in the open field, exposed 

 to all the suilden changes of our porous soil, is 

 sheer tolly, as it is almost sure death to the tree. 

 If it >!o.-s uotdieou ri^iht, the heart wood becomes 

 black and the tree at best is but short lived. 

 SucU h.is been and continues to be the history of 

 tree-planting where eastern trees are used. On 

 the 01 tier hand, we have had good success with 

 eastern grown trees by protecting tkem the first 

 Winer. We, therefore, aga^n i rge all persons 

 dealing in eastern gtown trees to take this pre- 

 cautii.n. To a large extent we are yet dependent 

 upon the East for trees, and more especially of 

 dwarf and standard pears, and as we cannot af- 

 ford to lo?e any, we must profit by past experi- 

 ence aid not keep on in the old beaten path, 

 which is lined. with dead trees and bankrupt fruit 

 tree dealers. A Codlin, Winesap or Willow Twig 

 is jii-t as valuable grown in New York as on the 

 prairie, if we v»ill protect it the first winter, so 



that it makes a healthy growth the f 'low'ng sea- 

 son ; it will thus be sufHuiin ly aeclimai'. i to 

 stand the rigurs of the climate on an equality 

 with those grown at Lome. 



AVe make no indiscriminate warfare up:> the 

 eastern trees, for we wtuld Lave thtm all gr.iw 

 and do well, as we have none tn ispare. and if 

 trees can be had from the Ea-t ch- aper tliun at 

 home, we have nothing to say ; but wtii^e we say 

 plant trees, we say that do ic in such a way that 

 they wilt live and prove valuat.le, :or it i-< no 

 pleasure to see a hundrea or two of dead irees 

 decorating the grounds of suine lover of good 

 fruit. So much for the care of eastern grown 

 trees. Now for the considerauou of the best. 



MODE OF PLANTING. 



Shelter, aspect, low heads, selections of varie- 

 ties, drainage and thoroui'h culture, are tli • es- 

 sentials that give an orchard its commercial va^ue. 

 At the same time we cannot igm re the iniide of 

 plant'ng, though every person, whether he haa 

 set a tree or not, becomes indignant when any 

 doubts are thrown upon his abdity to vi'operly 

 set out a tree. If the ground is undeidraiiied, 

 the surface need not be thrown into ridg s or 

 lands, but it it is not tli^roughly drainei, the 

 orchanl should be pi iced in lauds, the widtii of 

 the rows say f om twenty to twer>ty-fi;ur feet 

 apart, and th.^ line of trees should 1 e on the 

 ridge or centre of these lai;d«, so ih;it thf wa'er 

 will not settle about their roots, 'n set ing, dig 

 the holes somewhat larger than the extent of the 

 roots, and someinches deeper tiianthetcee should 

 set; make a miniature mound in this hole r,nd 

 where you intend the tree to rest; set the tree on 

 this mound, and place the roots in their natural 

 position ; on these sprinkle fine earth, and if need 

 be, place it carefully among the root?, with the 

 fingers ; after filling in, tread the fine earth among 

 the roots, keeping the toes of ymr boots toward 

 the tree; if the ground is dry, u-e a j.ail of wa- 

 ter to sett'e the earth; if not, fill up with the 

 moist earth level with the suiface, and again 

 tread down smooth. On this throw up a moand 

 around the tree at least a foot high; pat this 

 smooth with the back of the spade to prevent 

 washing, and the work is done. If the tree haa 

 a head two to four feet high, it should be made 

 to lean to the southwest, otherwise the winds 

 from that quarter will lean them over to the 

 northeast and allow the san to scald the trunks. 

 If the land is well drained, it matters little if the 

 tree is set one or six inches lower than it grew 

 in the nursery. On many of our trees we have 

 ridged the earth up at least a foot, and they re- 

 main as vigorous as those set the same depih that 

 they grew it the nnrseiy. If trees are set on 

 thin soil with a stiff clay below, it is death to set 

 them deep, at the same time the roots of trees 

 on a well drained clay-loam soil run deeper of 

 their own accord, especially if the land has been 

 worked deep with the plow or spade. If the 

 ground is any way level we would ridge up 

 against the trees. The mound placed around the 

 tree will prevent it frotn heaving out by the win- 

 ter frosts, being swayed ov^r by the wind, or in- 

 jured by early spring drouth, which, by the way, 



