^Yeir  Orchards  and  1‘lantatinns. 
:};5 
or  larches,  and  even  deciduous  trees  such  as  poplars. 
Orchards  and  plantations  are  frequently  surrounded  with 
damsons  and  certain  kinds  of  robust  growing-  plums,  planted 
thickly  as  a screen  against  the  winds. 
Planting. — Before  raising  an  orchard  or  plantation  the 
grower  should  discover,  either  by  observation  or  from  the  past 
experience  of  him.self  or  others,  what  varieties  of  trees  are 
suitable  to  his  soil,  locality,  and  market.  A reliable  nursery- 
man may  be  consulted  with  advantage.  In  buying  fruit  trees 
it  is  advisable  to  avoid  specimens  covered  with  fruit  buds  and 
yet  with  a minimum  of  growing  \vood;  these  trees  have  in  many 
cases  been  lifted  in  order  to  produce  fruit  spurs,  and  thereby 
catch  the  customer’s  eye,  but  in  reality  this  apparent  fruitful- 
ness has  robbed  the  tree  of  its  vigour,  and  it  will  be  a long  time 
l)efore  it  recovers  from  this  forcing  treatment  and  in  some 
instances  it  will  not  recover  from  it.  It  is  therefoi-e  not  desir- 
able to  purchase  trees  which  have  been  lifted  at  least  during  the 
preceding  three  years  and  even  then  when  oidy  showing  good 
growth.  This  does  not  apply  so  much  to  trees  for  gardens  or 
enclosed  s|)aces  as  to  trees  intended  for  field  or  market  work. 
The  distances  for  setting  out  trees  may  be  found  in  most 
nurserymen’s  catalogues.  It  is  .sometimes  a good  plan,  accord- 
ing to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  to  ])lace  the  trees  nearer  together 
than  is  usually  recommended.  Thus  free-growing  apj)le  trees, 
which  take  some  years  to  produce  a yield,  may  be  j)lanted  at  the 
usual  distance,  but  the  short-growing,  and  therefore,  varieties 
which  give  a quick  return  may  be  planted  clo.ser.  One  method 
which  is  practical  and  feasible  is  to  plant  these  latter  between 
the  former.  For  exani[)le,  the  free-growing  Newton  Wonder 
may  be  planted  24  ft.  apart  with  some  short-growing  kind,  such 
as  Lord  Suffield  or  Worcester  Pearmain,  placed  between  them. 
Fruit  trees  to  succeed  to  the  greatest  advantage  should 
l)e  planted  upon  arable  land  and  not  direct  on  to  grass. 
The  ground  around  standard  trees  should  be  cultivated  from 
six  to  eight  years  or  even  more,  according  to  the  vigour  of  the 
txees  and  the  quality  of  the  land.  When  they  have  obtained 
a good  hold  and  have  made  fair  trees,  the  land  may  be 
laid  down.  Experience  has  shown  that  young  fruit  trees 
planted  directly  upon  grass  land,  either  for  a new  orchard  or 
to  fill  up  vacant  places  in  old  orchards,  do  not  thrive  nearly 
■SO  well  as  trees  in  cultivated  soil.  Grass  round  voting  trees 
absorbs  the  nutrition  from  the  area  covered  by  their  roots  just 
below  the  surface  and  checks  their  growth.  Grass  also,  by  its 
VOL.  05.  D 
