HARRISONS’ NURSERIES, BERLIN, MARYLAND 
No. 2 tree fillers to be removed in twenty years. 
Orchard planting plan, diagonal system, with two fillers 
between permanent trees. No. 1 trees permanent; No. 3 
trees to be removed in eight or ten years; No. 2 trees to 
be removed in eighteen or twenty years. 
See that no water stands around where the trees 
are trenched. Dig a ditch leading off from where 
the trees are trenched, to carry off the surface 
water. Be careful to see that all straw and moss are 
removed from the trees before trenching. When 
unpacking and trenching, if the least bit dry, 
“puddle” the roots before heeling-in. Mix a suffi¬ 
cient quantity of loamy soil with water till it makes 
a thick paste, and dip the roots in this until all are 
well covered. When planting, take only a few trees 
out of the trenches at one time, just as you need 
them. By exposing the roots as little as possible 
the trees will keep in much better condition. 
FROZEN TREES. When trees are frozen in 
shipment, bury the box, with the trees in it, a foot 
or more deep, that is, cover it with a foot of earth. 
If not possible, put the box in a cellar, where the 
trees will thaw out slowly. You can leave them 
there for weeks untouched. After they are thawed 
out, the roots in each end of the box should be 
dampened from time to time. When free from 
frost, trees should be heeled-in at some protected 
place, if possible. In cold sections, it is a good idea 
to trench-in trees—roots and branches. In warmer 
sections, it is enough to cover the roots and lower 
third of the trunks, and let the tops stick out. They 
will come out fresh in the spring, and with more 
vitality. A good way is to dig a trench 2 feet deep, 
with a long slant toward the south on one side, then 
put the trees in with tops a foot or more higher 
than the roots, and cover the entire tree with dirt. 
HOW TO PLANT. We advise dynamiting the 
tree-holes, if possible, placing the charge about 18 
inches deep. A third or half of a stick will be 
enough. This will loosen and heave the soil and 
not throw it out. You will find that the effect of 
dynamiting, compared with digging only, will be 
noticeable for two or three years in the growth of 
the trees. In case you decide to dig the holes, be 
Orchard planting plan, modified square system. No. 1 
trees permanent; No. 3 tree fillers to be removed in about 
ten years; No. 2 tree fillers to be removed in about twenty 
years. 40 ft. apart each way is a good distance for perma¬ 
nent trees. 
sure to make them large enough so there is plenty 
of room for the roots without crowding or breaking 
them. 
Trees should be set about 2 inches deeper than 
they stood in the nursery. See that the holes are 
opened up deeper than you want to set the trees, 
and fill in a few inches with top-soil. As you fill in 
more top-soil about the roots, keep working the 
tree up and down vigorously, to fill all air-spaces. 
Keep packing the dirt. When the hole is half filled 
in, you can apply one pound of steamed bone. 
Then finish filling in. Be sure the dirt is made 
tight. You can’t get it too solid. Use a small maul, 
or your feet. Come down on it with as many pounds 
as you can muster. A couple of inches at the top, 
however, should be loose, as a mulch. During the 
winter the winds will sway the tree about to a cer¬ 
tain extent, making a funnel in the dirt around the 
stem. All of this should be corrected in early 
spring by tamping. 
PLANTING PLANS. Many are using three 
peach trees to one apple tree with success; others 
prefer using two apple fillers. (See diagram.) 
We recommend the following apples as fillers in an 
apple orchard. A very desirable early kind is 
Yellow Transparent, because the limbs of this va¬ 
riety grow upward. It can be pruned to suit con¬ 
ditions. Grimes’ Golden is a short-lived tree, and 
begins to bear very early. A little later in the 
season is Wealthy, which is a rather dwarf grower 
and a fine filler; Duchess of Oldenburg is dwarf, 
also bears early and ripens early. Wagener is the 
dwarfest of all, and is an exceedingly fine variety 
for this purpose. McIntosh also makes an excellent 
filler. 
In recommending these fillers, we take it that the 
man who plants them is planting for profit and is 
planting to succeed—planting to get the most money 
from his acres. One hundred and ten trees to the 
acre soon get too thick, but they pay well during 
the first few years. We take it that we are talking 
to people who will have nerve enough when the 
proper time comes to cut out the fillers. 
We know of instances where the apple fillers have 
paid the price of the land, the cost of the trees and 
all expenses of operation, before they were at all in 
the way of the standard trees. We know of other 
orchards where three peach trees to one apple tree 
have been planted, and the peach trees have paid 
the entire expenses before they interfered with the 
apple trees. Bear in mind that unless fillers are cut 
out in time they will interfere and prevent standards 
from making as much growth as they should. But 
the profit from fillers with proper care, makes it well 
