American Agriculturist, March s, 1924 
How We Set Fruit Trees 
In a Sod Mulch Orchard 
M ANY mistaken By H. R. HITCHINGS according to the size 
ideas are held by of the trees and soil 
the average farmer today concerning a 
first-class apple tree as it comes from the 
nursery. Usually, the principal requisites 
demanded are size and low cost. The 
buying of nursery stock with economy 
as "the prime object can hardly be recom¬ 
mended. The importance of starting 
the orchard planting with well grown, 
properly handled nursery stock has been 
demonstrated many times. 
The question of proper planting age for 
an apple tree can not be answered offhand 
as there are a number of factors which 
should be known. Considering the lower 
price for which one year old stock may be 
purchased, there might be conditions 
where they could be planted to advantage. 
If the one year old stock was of good size, 
well-grown and first-class two year old 
stock of the variety desired could not b.e 
obtained, it might be better practice to. 
plant the one year stock, rather than 
wait a year for the two year trees. The 
writer would consider the planting of 
one year stock as special practice with 
consistent good results to be demonstrated 
and would never advise the planting of a 
nursery apple tree under two years of age. 
It is also doubtful practice to plant trees 
more than two years of age except in 
special instances where trees may be 
quickly transplanted or for special varie¬ 
ties. A three or four year old Rome 
Beauty tree is usually much hardier and 
will usually make a better start than the 
younger trees. 
Yearling Stock Too Small 
Most one year old trees are too small 
in diameter, therefore they will dry out 
or shrivel easily. Excessive cold or heat 
will damage these small trees much more 
than the larger two year old stock. It 
takes too long for a one year whip to 
establish a root system and sufficient 
leaf area, especially in soils of relatively 
low fertility. The chance is greater for 
the two year tree to live along until it 
becomes adapted to the new soil and can 
establish itself. 
The two year tree should caliper at least 
five-eighths inch and preferably three- 
fourths, depending on the variety and 
method of handling in the nursery. It is 
no advantage to obtain trees that have 
been grown on muck or which have been 
unduly forced to a high caliper. The 
wood is seldom well ripened and will 
doubtless winterkill or will be so checked 
that they will not thrive. There are well- 
grown two year trees that will caliper 
seven-eighths inch and better on the 
market but one should know their 
history and determine if they are in 
proper condition before planting. 
Get Clean Stock 
The trees should not be infested with 
insects or infected with disease as crown 
gall or blight canker. If the trees have 
been held through the winter in storage 
there are other factors which affect the 
trees’ welfare which should be carefully 
checked. If the trees look black or un¬ 
duly shrivelled, or if they appear ex¬ 
tremely hard and dry, their chances of 
starting are unfavorable. Soft slimy skin 
that is easily rubbed off from the branches 
is another unfavorable character. 
Upon receipt of the trees from the 
nursery, the grower should immediately 
take precaution to heel the trees in the 
ground or keep in a moist, cool place 
until planting time. If trees are heeled in, 
the bundles should be separated some¬ 
what, so that the moist soil may be more 
easily placed in contact with the roots. 
A rather wide trench should be dug and 
trees tipped at an angle of 45 degrees and 
the roots well covered with earth. 
Digging the Holes 
For most locations, planting in the 
sod, the holes should be dug two feet in 
diameter and sixteen to eighteen inches 
deep. The depth will vary somewhat 
conditions. This depth allows for the 
placing of some of the top soil under 
the tree roots before the tree is placed in 
the hole. For a small planting in a home 
orchard, it would doubtless pay to dig 
holes somewhat wider and deeper, al¬ 
though the above mentioned size has 
always been entirely satisfactory in 
planting trees in our orchards. Usually 
if the workmen start digging the holes 
eighteen inches deep and the sub-soil is 
hard, most of the holes will be nearer 
sixteen inches than eighteen unless a 
close check is maintained. Observation 
has led the author to believe that the 
time is well spent in excavating a hole of 
this size. There is usually more space 
in the bottom of the hole than is needed 
for the roots but this gives them a chance 
to start off in the turned soil and also 
allows for changing the position of the 
tree in the hole to some extent to line up 
with the rows and is a very good fault 
when its beneficial results to the tree are 
considered, 
The Hitchings’ Planting Plan 
The Hitchings’ method or plan is to 
place a stake for each tree. When the 
hole is to be dug, workman starts by 
digging a ring around the stake, the out¬ 
side diameter being two feet or a trifle 
over, leaving the stake until last. This 
will enable workman to dig the hole at 
the proper location in relation to the 
stake. When the tree is planted it is 
placed in the center of the hole and the 
row will be straight. By using this 
method it is not difficult to keep the rows 
straight without bothering to sight up 
and down the row, the principal ad¬ 
vantage of this system and a time saver 
in planting. 
In digging the hole two piles of dirt 
and sometimes three are made. Usually 
only two piles are made, the sods from 
the top being placed in one pile and the 
rest of the loose earth in another. The 
third pile is made where the top soil is 
shallow and the subsoil of poor consis¬ 
tence for placing around the tree roots. 
The soil is usually loosened for a couple 
of inches in the bottom of the hole. If 
there is a difference in the height, the 
earth should be placed on the upper side 
of the hole so that it may be pushed 
back into the hole in the easiest manner. 
Trimming the Stock 
4 
The trees may be trimmed to the best 
advantage just before planting. All 
broken roots and in fact all roots should 
be cut so that the new rootlets may start 
from a fresh cut. These cuts should be 
made so that they will parallel as nearly 
as possible the surface on which they are 
placed. That is, instead of being cut 
square off, they should be cut on a bevel 
with the bevel facing down so that the 
new rootlets may start downward from 
the cut edges. 
The small fibrous roots should be 
clipped as they are not of any benefit to 
the tree. There is considerable contro¬ 
versy as to the proper length to trim the 
roots. Usually the roots are broken to 
such an .extent that it is impossible to 
leave them too long if a fresh cut is made 
on each rootlet. For two year trees eight 
or nine inch roots would help consider¬ 
ably in anchoring the tree and the writer 
believes taking all things into considera¬ 
tion that this would be about the proper 
length for the best results. Variety and 
the size of the tree would largely deter¬ 
mine this factor. The length of the roots 
is not so important if they are undamaged, 
in a thrifty condition, and free from 
disease. 
In trimming the top, all tags should be 
removed. Limbs should be shortened 
from one-third to one-half of their length 
depending on the condition of the tree, 
time of planting and the variety. Ex¬ 
cessive branches and those which are 
{Continued on page £61) 
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