September, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



aspects. The subject is treated with com- 

 mendable brevity, but with sufficient detail 

 to give every important aspect ample treat- 

 ment. Although it makes its chief appeal to 

 the practical agriculturist, the book is one 

 that may well be read by any one interested 

 in agriculture, or even in the basic facts of 

 national prosperity. It deals, very obviously, 

 with essential facts concerning the soil and 

 the production of crops, with which every one 

 should be familiar. 



The Commuter's Garden Record. Bv 

 Amy Carol Rand. New York: H. M. 

 Caldwell Co. 

 This is a highly ornamental garden record 

 prepared expressly for the garden amateur. 

 Its pages are elaborately decorated and printed 

 in tint, and include a table of planting, which 

 gives useful data concerning the growing of 

 ordinary garden plants, and provides space in 

 which the flower lover may record her own 

 record of how her seeds were raised and de- 

 veloped. A good deal of valuable help can 

 be gained in keeping such a record, and the 

 pleasant form in which it may be done in this 

 book will doubtless induce many to fill out 

 the blank spaces provided for this purpose. 



A HOME ORCHARD 



By E. P. Powell 



THE selection of trees and the proper 

 planting of a good home orchard comes 

 among the very first necessities of a coun- 

 try home. Every country home should grow 

 every possible sort of fruit that the climate 

 will permit, enough for home supply, and I 

 think a surplus for market. In other words, 

 no matter how well-to-do its occupants, the 

 land should pay for its keep. 



The arrangement of a small piece of ground 

 may be such as easily to supply apples, pears, 

 plums, cherries, as well as all sorts of berries. 

 The first of these to come into bearing will 

 be plums and cherries and berries. Apple 

 trees should be planted at least forty feet 

 apart. Five of these, each way, will take up 

 a space of two hundred feet. Between the 

 apples may be four rows of pears. This will 

 leave, running in the other direction, wide 

 spaces to be filled with plums and cherries. 

 These may stand twelve feet apart — better 

 fifteen. This leaves free cultivating in one 

 direction. You have still room between the 

 plums and cherries for raspberries, currants 

 and gooseberries. 



In selecting your trees invariably specify 

 that you will receive nothing but stocky, well- 

 grown trees — five to six feet for apples and 

 pears, and four to five for plums and cherries. 

 Slim, whip-stalk trees are generally pinched 

 in the nursery, and will not recover for many 

 years. I have had such trees stand for ten 

 years without growth. If you receive such 

 trees at all cut them close to the ground and 

 make entirely new wood. About planting 

 trees, there is no necessity for half the fussing 

 that is frequently displayed. Simply plant in 

 dry soil (that is, not sticky), set them about 

 as deep as they were in the nursery, tramp the 

 dirt firm, raise it a trifle above level, and then 

 mulch with coal ashes or with some litter — 

 whatever is convenient. If set in the fall 

 stake the trees to prevent working about and 

 loosening the soil. 



As a rule trim your young trees very close. 

 I leave no limbs at all on peaches and plums, 

 and very short limbs on apples and pears. In 

 all cases trim for low heading — especially in 

 sandy soil and warm climate. The intent 

 will be to shade the body of the tree, and the 

 ground as well. Although this low-limbing 

 may be raised somewhat as the trees develop, 

 so as to accommodate cultivating, yet in a 

 small home orchard there should be more use 



This Booh is FREE to every 



MODERN BATH-ROOMS 



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You cannot get this book from any publisher. You cannot buy it at any 

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Address, Standard S«mttars11>&.C*. Dept.23, Pittsburgh, Pa., U. S. A. 



Offices and Showrooms in New York: "Standard* Building, 35-37 West 31st Street. 



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of the digging fork and less of the plow and 

 cultivator. The mulch should spread out 

 wider as the tree grows higher and should be 

 renewed each year. Its influence is not only 

 to shade, but to equalize the temperature of 

 the soil. This is aided still farther by sowing 

 cover crops, that is, something like clover or 

 cow peas, to remain on the ground during the 

 winter and plow under in the spring. In a 

 very small orchard spread litter or straw. In 

 Florida, where I have my winter home, I also 

 wrap each tree, when planted, with strong 

 paper. This will remain on for a year and 

 protect the bark from the hot sun. It is not 

 at all a bad plan for your young trees, in the 

 North also, to protect them from severe cold 

 in the winter. 



There is a marked difference in the growth 

 of different varieties of apples and pears, as 

 well as plums and cherries. Many of these 

 are very compact, and are best used as "fillers" 

 — that is, to grow between other trees while 

 they are young. As the trees develop in size 

 and come to full fruitage, these fillers can be 

 cut out. Among apples some of the best for 

 fillers are Mcintosh, Wagner, Wealthy, Ex- 

 celsior Crab, Summer Strawberry. Among 

 the pears you may take for early bearing and 



early removal Buffum, Seckel, and Belle 

 Lucrative. A very large crab apple, called 

 the Excelsior, makes us a splendid filler. 

 Quinces may also be grown as fillers, as well 

 as peaches — where these are hardy. In 

 Florida I use not only peaches but figs. 



An orchard expert knows that each year 

 brings around a special difficulty of its own. 

 This is rarely repeated two years in succession. 

 The prime trouble of 1907 was an enormous 

 development of aphidas. These came just as 

 the leaves were putting forth in May, and 

 they continued until the young fruit was far 

 enough developed to be seriously damaged. 

 The foliage was literally covered in all the 

 orchards of half a dozen States. I found 

 them quite as abundant in Massachusetts and 

 Connecticut as in New York. Most people 

 said "merely lice," as if that minified the dif- 

 ficulty. But these lice utterly destroy the 

 power of the leaves to perform their natural 

 functions. As a consequence the young fruit 

 is unfed and pinched at the very outset. About 

 the last of June a lady beetle larva appeared 

 in almost infinite numbers, making quick 

 work of the lice. The foliage recovered some 

 of its strength during July, and we had a 

 moderate crop of apples. This lice pest is one 



