48 
March, 1891. 
ORCHRRD 
GARDEN \ 
Work for the Month. 
This is a busy month with the orchardist 
in many sections, and it is not too soon any- 
where to prepare for spring work. Our 
plans should have been well matured by this 
time so that we may get to work intelli- 
gently, as much will depend upon the time 
the work is done and the manner of doing it. 
To set out an orchard prepare the ground 
by deep and through plowing and pulveri- 
zation. When ready for setting the trees, 
which should be as early as possible before 
the buds swell, mark off the ground with a 
two-horse plow in deep furrows; rows tliii ty 
feet apart. Then set the trees in these fur- 
rows thirty feet apart. All that is required 
in setting a tree is to level off at the proper 
place, a space sufficiently large for all the 
roots to be placed in on the same plane and 
at the proper depth. Then fill in the soil 
firmly and level off. In this manner if 
everything is ready and on hand, two per- 
sons may set out easily 500 two years old 
trees in a day, and do the work better than 
can be done in any other manner, as it does 
away with digging holes, which is the main 
labor in the old way. This digging holes 
deeper than one can plow, for the tap roots 
to go down into, is of no manner of use, for 
we know that trees will grow and do just as 
well without it. We have seen them grow 
on the solid, undisturbed soil and even on 
rock and stones, and do as well as in loose 
soil, under exactly the same conditions. 
We would, however, state here that we 
have never recommended the plan of setting 
trees on flat stones but have simply given 
our observation and the testimony of others. 
All we have to say on this subject is that 
so far as our experience and observation go, 
trees do as well set on flat stones, or hard 
unmoved soil as on loose soil, other condi- 
tions being equal; consequently, if this is a 
fact, it is unnecessary to spend so much time 
and labor in digging deep holes. We would 
state here that ever since our first observa- 
tion of this fact, about thirty-five years ago, 
we have invariably set all kind of trees on 
the hard and undisturbed soil with uniform 
success, scarcely ever losing a tree, and we 
cannot see that any other person has been 
more successful. 
There is another matter connected with 
tree planting which has scarcely been men- 
tioned, second to none in importance. That 
is, in the selection of trees. }t is as impor- 
tant to have a good tree as to have a good 
variety, and our success will be in propor- 
tion as we approach both. These two sim- 
ple facts are the foundation of orcharding 
every where, in Europe as well as here. In 
the first place we must have the right varie- 
ties for any location; secondly we must have 
good trees of those varieties. We do not sim- 
ply mean sound, healthy trees with all their 
roots, but we want strong, vigorous, pedi- 
gree trees. These can only be produced 
from good stock well grown; we want no 
scrub stock trees any more than scrub stock 
animals; one is just as important as the 
other, and the results about the same. For 
this reason we want only the best and most 
vigorous seedlings, raised from the best 
seed, well grown, and only one year old. 
Of these seedlings when grafting, we cut up 
roots into sections of from one to three, 
about three inches long, using only good, 
sound vigorous cions. These are to be set 
out early and given thorough tillage 
throughout two seasons for apple trees, so 
that the trees will fairly root from the cion. 
Then we select only the most vigorous and 
best from these. We call them pedigree 
trees, as they are established upon their 
own roots, for the less of the original start- 
ing root the better. 
Grafting may still be done, and so may 
pruning. Prepare for spraying fruit trees 
in season, for that now seems to be the only 
way of combating our insect enemies. Top- 
graft all worthless varieties with better 
kinds. Read what was said last March 
about this in Orchard and Garden. Our 
readers should file and preserve all their 
back numbers for reference, as we cannot 
always repeat the same matter. Graft 
cherries and plums first, before the buds 
swell. In no case will there be success if 
the cion is farther advanced than the stock, 
unless the cion could be held in check until 
the stock was in proper activity, by cold 
storage or otherwise. — J. Stayman. 
Orchard Notings. 
ROOM ENOUGH UP HIGH. 
A year ago, attending the Winter Meeting 
of the Maine Pomological Society, I had 
the pleasure of meeting a Mr. Whittier, of 
Farmington, Me., who read a paper des- 
criptive of his method of evaporatingapples, 
and producing a brand which was sought 
for by dealers at 17 cents a pound when the 
common qualities found no sale. This ex- 
tensive orchardist evaporates all his No. 2 
fruit, marketing all his No. 1 fresh, and 
working all below No. 2 into vinegar, or 
feeding them to stock. Mr. Whittier manu- 
factures his own barrels, and uses only new 
ones for his apples. In 1889 he received 
$3,500 for his No. 1 fruit, sold at $5.00 to $6.00, 
with some extra fine Spys that brought him 
$8.00, and 140 barrels of Roxbury Russets 
sold late in the spring at $6.50 and $7.00. 
Mr. Whittier’s apples are not only well 
grown, but are very carefully handled and 
packed with scrupulous honesty. His brand 
sells on sight at a fancy price in Boston. 
Mr, Whittier’s orchard has been the care 
of a lifetime, He has 70 acres in apples, 
with a total of 5000 trees, including 600 set 
in 1889. The slope of the land is towards 
the North and Northwest, It is strong hill 
land, quite rocky in places, and he follows 
the plan I have myself so long recommended 
and practiced, of mulching his trees heavily, 
using all the grass, leaves, brakes ond other 
vegetable matter he can collect for that 
purpose. Each tree has his frequent per- 
sonal attention. Here is an orchardist 
worthy of emulation. 
a want supplied. 
The Maine Farmer , speaking of the Iron- 
clad apples, quotes a Canadian statement 
that “Still One MoreVariety is Wanted,” — a 
hardy, long-keeping, good winter apple, 
“as hardy as Oldenburgh, of the habit of 
growth of Talman Sweet, the fruit as good 
as Northern Spy, and keeping until July.” 
Hardiness like Oldenburgh is a good stand- 
ard, and keeping until July is very desirable; 
but I think the habit of growth of Olden- 
burgh is better than that of Talman. Sec- 
retary Woolverton, of the Ontario Fruit- 
grower’s Association, offers the Renaud, a 
Quebec seedling, yet to be propagated, as a 
promising candidate ; but I should want to 
know, first, whether it spots — as nearly 
every Quebec apple does. We have already 
the Bethel of Vermont, which will fill the 
bill for the northeastern States and pro- 
vinces. It has all the merits asked for, but 
with a little too close resemblance to the 
Spy, in coming late to bearing. I think this 
can be obviated by top-working upon Old- 
enburgh or Tetofsky, The Bethel is large, 
beautiful, fair, and of excellent quality, and 
it keeps well into the spring, — though, 
perhaps, not in perfection quite to July. 
But with a few Scott’s Winter to fill out 
the time until the Yellow Transparent is 
ripe, there is no trouble, even now, in 
belting the year with excellent iron-clad 
apples. Let us, however, do what we can 
to add to these long-keeping kinds; for 
scarcely any apple has a continental range, 
and it is better to have as wide a choice as 
possible. Among the keeping Russians, 
upon which I recently reported in Orchard 
and Garden, there will be some all-winter 
sorts ; and the search for native seedlings 
of merit is being (as in the case of the 
Renaud, above mentioned) occasionally re- 
warded. 
THE TRUE SHIAWASSEE. 
I notice my friend John Craig’s observa- 
tions in Orchard and Garden about the 
Shiawassee Beauty apple, but I can hardly 
think he has this apple true. At Abbottsford, 
where the test was made, Fameuse is freer 
from spot than at my place ; how then 
should a variety that does not spot with me, 
spot so badly at Abbottsford ? Downing’s 
observations on the Shiawassee, to the , 
effect that it closely resembles the Fameuse, 
“but may be distinguished by the wood,” 
has led some nurserymen who get orders 
for Shiawassee to substitute Fameuse. But 
the true Shiawassee is so very distinct as to 
give no opportunity to confound the fruit, — 
it being much more oblate, larger, decidedly 
more acid, and of distinctly different shades 
of red. They can be separated as easily as 
Baldwins and Spys, when mixed together. 
1 make these remarks because I suppose 
some readers may be induced by what I 
have written to order Shiawassee trees. 
