Hints for the Planter •» *» 
PREPARATION OF TIIE SOIL—The most desirable 
soil for fruit trees is a rich loam, which should be 
either dug or plowed deep and well worked up. 
Where preparation by plowing is not practical the 
holes should be dug at least two feet wide and 16 
inches deep. In filling the hole use only fine dirt 
against the roots. Allow no trace of manure to come 
against them. The top soil should be well worked up 
for a space two feet each way around the tree and 
well cultivated the entire season. 
Where trees are planted in plowed ground, a hoed 
crop may be grown between the trees with profit. No 
crop should be planted within five feet of the trees. 
Do not set a tree as you would a post and expect 
results. It must have cultivation. If the soil is coarse 
and crumbly a good soaking will be beneficial. 
SELECTION OF TREES—A good many people are led 
to believe that a one-year-old apple tree will come 
into bearing as soon as a three-year-old planted at 
the same time. Experience has proven this to be in¬ 
correct for this latitude. It might be true in the 
South or in some of the favored irrigated valleys, but 
in this region the three-year-old tree will come into 
bearing at least two years sooner. This will apply 
to all fruit trees as planted in this section. 
PREPARATION OF TREES—If trees appear dry when 
received, from being long on the road, place them 
with their roots in water, or bury root and top in 
moist dirt for a few days until revived, before plant¬ 
ing. 
Ordinarily stock should be planted as soon as re¬ 
ceived. If the ground is not ready, or for some reason 
you are not ready, the trees may be heeled in for a 
few days without injury, by covering the roots with 
moist dirt and shading the tops. 
Do not expose roots to sun and wind for any length 
of time. It is highly injurious and fatal to evergreens. 
Go over the roots just before putting in the hole, and 
with a sharp knife cut back to good live tissue, as 
they will start much quicker from a freshly cut sur¬ 
face than from an old wound. 
TIME OF PLANTING—The proper time for transplant¬ 
ing nursery stock is often a disputed question. It is 
well known that deciduous trees, or those that shed 
their leaves, may be transplanted at any time after 
the leaves drop in the fall until the growth starts 
again in the spring. However, in this latitude any 
trees that are inclined to be a little tender are liable 
to winter injury if planted in the fall; so that, owing 
to our cold winters, spring planting, as a rule, is 
preferable this far north. Where fall planting is 
practiced it should be deferred as late as possible to 
allow the wood to ripen fully. This will be usually 
the fore part of November. 
CULTIVATION—To get good results from your trees, 
keep them well cultivated at all times. Where planted 
in sod this is very important, as the grass will soon 
occupy all the space and choke the trees. A coarse 
mulching would be of benefit to keep down the grass 
and the ground cool and moist. 
Keep down all water-sprouts or suckers that come up 
around the base of the tree. The first two years at 
least the orchard should be well cultivated. Bear in 
' mind that a thrifty tree is usually immune from most 
insect pests. 
SPRAYING—Our Spraying Department will gladly offer 
practical advice on equipment and materials for your 
individual spraying needs or. if you prefer, will make 
arrangements to do the work for you with our own 
power spray equipment. 
The State Experimental Station issues a Bulletin giv¬ 
ing information on methods and means of controlling 
insect and fungus diseases. This Bulletin is free— 
address Illinois State University, Urbana, and ask for 
the Bulletin on Spraying. 
DISTANCES FOR PLANTING 
Rows 
Apart 
Rows 
Apart 
Apart 
In Rows 
Apart 
In Rows 
Blackberry 
8 feet 
2 feet 
Apple 
20 feet 
Gooseberry 
6 feet 
4 feet 
Pear 
16 feet 
12 feet 
Currant 
6 feet 
4 feet 
Plum 
20 feet 
16 feet 
Strawberry 
3 feet 
2 feet 
Peach 
16 feet 
10 feet 
Asparagus 
3 feet 
2 feet 
Grape - - . 
7 feet 
6 feet 
Raspberry 
7 feet 
3 feet 
The above distances 
are for field 
culture and 
on good prairie land. 
On light soil plant 
closer. 
FREE r —■ New Book on 
Horticulture 
HAVE RECENTLY GOTTEN OUT A BOOK, entitled, 
BETTER GARDENING, by an author who has given 
a life time to the work. This book tells What, When 
and How to Plant. It contains 48 pages of instruc¬ 
tions regarding every phase of Fruit and Ornamental 
Gardening. The chapters on Roses, Rock Gardens 
and Pools, either one of which is worth many times 
the cost of the book even if it cost a dollar. 
The information given in this book applies to 
climatic and soil conditions of the Middle West. 
Most Garden Information written heretofore was 
from the East, where different conditions exist and 
the advice given in many instances was faulty and 
disappointing when applied under our own soil and 
climate. 
So many fail with Trees and Shrubs on account of 
not knowing just how to plant or what after manage¬ 
ment to give. While if properly instructed the results 
would be both profitable and a source of enjoyment. 
Knowing the need of such information among tree 
planters in general, we urge our customers to get 
this book. It contains 26 chapters on as many differ¬ 
ent subjects relative to gardening, and is up-to-date 
in every particular and the advice given is the very 
best to be had. 
No charge if requested with an order, otherwise send 
10c in stamps to cover mailing costs. 
James Ingels, Mgr. THE HOME NURSERY La Fayette, Illinois 
