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ON THE PLANTING AND CULTIVATION
OF ORCHARDS.

The first thing to be determined upon in the planting
of an orchard, is the proper distance of the trees:
if a mere fruit plantation be the object, the distance
may be small- if the cultivation of grain and grass be
in view,  the space between the trees most [must] be wider:
at thirty feet apart, an acre will contain forty-eight
trees; at thirty-five feet, thirty-five trees; at forty feet,
twenty-seven trees; and at fifty feet, about eighteen to
the acre- these are the usual distances. In my own
plantations, I have adopted the various distances, according
to the depth and character of the soil; about
two-thirds of the ground, comprising about one hundred
acres, are planted at 50 feet;  on the remaining
fifty acres, I have tried 30,35, and 40 feet;  and, as far
as could be conveniently done, I have planted the trees
of smallest growth on the lightest soil. Taking every
circumstance into consideration, it will probably be
found, that forty feet is the most eligible distance for
a farm orchard. - It will admit sufficient sun and air,
in our dry and warm climate; and until the trees shall
be fully grown, will allow of a profitable application of
the ground to the cultivation of grain and grass.

Much trouble will be saved, and much accurcy in
planting will be ensured, by marking the sites of trees
by stakes, previous to digging the holes. In shallow
soils, I would recommend making the holes of the
depth of two spits of earth, scattering the lower spit at
some distance; and supplying its place by an equal
quantity of the neighboring surface earth- the depth
of the hole must depend on that of the sub-soil.

An eligible mode, which I have practised with success
in a large portion of my orchards, on the lighter
soils, is to supply the place of the stratum of poor earth,
by one or two loads of meadow mud, ditch banks, or

        