December, 1915 
19 
For the orchard of 
Variety. 
one-half 
will prove 
Allow 
Diameter. 
12 standard apples. 
18' 
7-10 years. 
2-10 bushels. 
IS dwarf apples. 
10'-12' 
3-5 “ 
1/2-2 
12 peaches. 
12'-15' 
3-5 “ 
Z-5 “ 
6 cherries. 
15'-25' 
3-4 “ 
Z-2 “ 
6 standard pears. 
20' 
3-5 “ 
1-5 
6 dwarf pears. 
10' 
2-3 “ 
1-5 
6 plums. 
8'-10' 
3-5 “ 
Z-2 “ 
2 quinces. 
3-5 “ 
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sized sorts may be set 18' or 
so, which will give them 
sufficient room for many 
years to come, although 
eventually every other one 
would have to be cut out. A 
good plan is to alternate 
standard apples with dwarf 
apples or peaches, putting 
them about 15' apart. The 
latter are shorter lived, and 
may be cut when the stan¬ 
dard apples require all the 
room. For the very small 
place dwarf apples may 
sometimes be used altogether, as they are much more easily 
cared for in pruning, picking, etc., and give a bigger range of 
varieties in the same space, but they require the highest culti¬ 
vation, and the saving in space is only apparent, as one stan¬ 
dard tree will yield as much as three or four dwarfs. The 
latter come into bearing much sooner, however; and that is 
a point of great importance with most home fruit growers. 
In figuring out how many peach trees you will plant, allow 
12' to 15' in diameter for each. Standard pears require a 
minimum of 20', but these also may be had on dwarf stock, 
and planted as close as 10' — and there will be a few fruits 
the first or second season after planting! Cherries require 
15' to 25'; and begin to fruit the third or fourth year. Plums 
also give the planter quick returns: 8' to 10' for the dwarf 
stock and 12' to 18' for the standard will be enough to allow 
where but a few trees are being set out. 
As to the proportion of the different kinds of fruits to select, 
that is, of course, largely a matter of family taste; but the 
following would answer for an average basis; to be added 
to or subtracted from according to the “hankerin’ ” there may 
be for any one thing in preference to another. For a small 
garden — say one-tenth of an acre (approximately 60' x 75') 
8 dwarf apples, 3 peaches, 3 pears, 2 cherries, 3 plums would 
fill the bill. Where more space may be available, say half 
an acre (215' x 100') the following assortment: 15 standard 
apples, 15 dwarfs, 12 peaches, 6 standard pears, 6 dwarfs, 6 
plums, 6 cherries, 2 quinces. 
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acre (215'x 100 ) this selection 
sufficient 
Expect Normal Yield 
Good Fruit. Per Tree. 
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Plotting the Orchard 
With this data as a basis, go over your ground now, and 
figure up how many fruit trees you should have. Where each 
is to go, place a stout garden label, or a small stake, whittled 
flat at the top to make a writing space. It is not necessary 
to bother about varieties now; time enough for that next 
month when you get the new 
catalogs. 
The next step is to get 
each of these spots ready for 
the tree that is to go into it. 
If they are to be planted in 
the from of a regular orch¬ 
ard, the whole piece should 
be sub-blasted, and if it is 
in sod, plowed. If the trees 
are to be scattered about, it 
may be necessary to prepare 
the individual holes, but this 
is never as thorough, because 
within a few years after 
planting the entire space will be occupied by the rapidly de¬ 
veloping roots, and the more thoroughly pulverized and aerated 
the soil is, the more rapid and robust the growth of the 
orchard. Blasting is not an expensive proposition, consider¬ 
ing that its effects will last for many years. In very light soil, 
or soil with a shady or gravelly subsoil, it may not be desirable; 
but under most conditions it will be found to pay well. A 
quarter to a half a stick in each hole, or at intervals of 10' 
to 25' each way over the piece, will pulverize the subsoil and 
accelerate the drainage as no plowing or spading could do. 
In what is called “hard-pan” soil, this is particularly desirable, 
because it permits the roots to grow well down, instead of 
spreading near the surface, where feeding room is restricted, 
and injury from drought is liable. The cost will average but 
a few cents per tree. 
Staking Out and Fertilizing 
In addition to this, each place where a stake marks the 
position for a tree should be spaded up, and a forkful or 
two of manure and a couple of handfuls of coarse bone well 
mixed with the soil. Bone can be bought by the single bag, of 
100 pounds, for $1.50 to $2, and its use will increase the 
value of your first crop by a good deal more than that amount. 
If available, acid phosphate and muriate of potash, costing re¬ 
spectively about $1 and $2 to $3 per 100 lbs., may be used in 
addition with great advantage; but by all means, get the bone 
at least; the other things may be added later, during the second 
or third season’s growth. 
Fruit trees set out last season, or the one before, should 
receive careful attention now. If they were properly cut back 
at the time, the first stage in the development of the individual 
tree will have been reached now. Even in commercial orchards 
the “low head’’ has come to be accepted as profitable. For 
the home orchard it is even more important, as a step-ladder, 
a low-pressure hand-spraying outfit, and a small hand-pruning 
saw are usually the only orchard 
outfit available to the private fruit 
grower. With trees properly cared 
for during their first few years, 
they will be all he needs. The es¬ 
sentials to keep in mind in form¬ 
ing the heads of your young trees 
are few, but important. Select 
the small lateral branches which 
are to form the frame of the tree 
at different points on the trunk; if 
they branch from the same place, 
forming a crotch, a split trunk is 
likely to be the result of your first 
really heavy crop of fruit. Trim 
and head in these and the smaller 
side branches from them, so that 
they will be a swell spread, sym¬ 
metrical, and open at the center. 
On the small place, with single 
trees especially near the perma¬ 
nent vegetable garden, it may be 
better to have the head formed at 
a height of 5' or 6' so that there 
will be head room and light be¬ 
neath it. One can do almost any¬ 
thing in the way of training or 
shaping a tree during the first few 
years; but always try to keep in 
mind what you want in the mature 
tree. Apples will require the most 
(Continued on page 56) 
A healthy stump is more valuable than a diseased tree, but old trees must be doctored carefully. 
These pictures show an old tree before and after pruning 
