6 LEAFLET 218, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Planting and Care 
Sources or PLtants.—No fruits adapted to this region are grown 
from seed. All are propagated by commercial nurserymen. Names of 
nurseries can be supplied by the State agricultural extension service. 
Location or PLanrinc.—A though it is generally desirable to have 
the planting near the house and perhaps adjacent to the vegetable 
garden, this may not be the most favorable location. In general, the 
planting should not be in a low area but should be on ‘moderately 
elevated land or on a slope that will provide satisfactory air drainage. 
In other words, the site should not be frosty. The soil should be 
reasonably fertile and well-drained. A location where the soil tends 
to remain wet after rain should be avoided. Where a choice is possi- 
ble, heavy soils should be selected for currants and gooseberries. 
Fruit trees, which need full exposure to sunlight, should not be 
planted near wood lots or shade trees. 
Size or Piantinc.—The size of the planting will vary with the 
space available. In some locations there may be space for only a 
few grapevines on an arbor or fence, a few fruit or nut trees around 
the buildings, or a row or two of berries by the fence. On other 
places the size of the planting is determined by the needs of the 
family and by the kinds of fruit that can be grown. A halt-acre 
garden that includes tree fruits and nuts and furnishes fruit in season 
fora large family is illustrated in figure 2. 
Wuen anp How ro Pranr.—Usually a better stand of plants will 
be obtained by setting them as early in the spring as it is possible to 
prepare the soil. Equally good results will be obtained by planting 
fruit trees in the fall. The ground should be prepared as thoroughly 
as for a vegetable garden. It is important that the plants be entirely 
dormant, with no buds starting, at time of planting. Also, the roots 
should never be allowed to dry out. Berries and grapes should be set 
at the same depth as they grew in the nursery. The fruit and nut 
trees should be set shghtly deeper. The roots should be spread out 
when the plants are set. When the holes are dug the topsoil and sub- 
soil are separated. The topsoil is placed about the roots of the tree 
in the hole, and the subsoil is used last to fill up the rest of the hole. 
The soil should be thoroughly firmed about the roots to prevent 
drying out and to help hold the tree in position. 
Pruntnc Brrorr PLANtTING.—Strawberries should have all fully 
developed leaves picked off before being planted. The canes of 
raspberries, blackberries, currants, and gooseberries should be cut 
back to 6 inches at time of planting. Grapevines are usually cut 
back, leaving only one or two buds. Tf fruit trees obtained from the 
nursery are ~ unbranched whips, they should be headed back to a 
height of 3 to 314 feet. If they have several good-sized branches well 
spaced along the trunk, three or four may “be left. The branches 
should be spaced about a foot apart up and down the trunk and point 
in different directions. | 
Curirivarion.—The cultivation of the home fruit garden is similar 
to that of the vegetable garden for the first part of the season. After 
about July 15 cultivation of fruit trees and bushes should cease. 
Strawberries should be cultivated until the end of the growing season. 
Under most conditions the same methods of maintaining the fer rtility of 
the soil that are followed in a vegetable garden are ‘successful with 
fruit. Where stable manure is available, its liberal use generally gives 
