Successful Fruit and Vegetable Garden Culture 
Here’s How You Can Produce Much of Your Own Home Food Supply 
For both the fruit trees and vege- 
tables, careful preparation of the soil 
‘prior to planting will pay big divi- 
dends. The cultivation given the 
small fruits and vegetables between 
the rows will automatically cultivate 
the young fruit trees. While the 
trees are young they can be inter- 
planted with small fruits and vege- 
tables. Also fruit trees can-be planted 
at edges of the regular garden area. 
Some gardeners prefer to mulch the 
fruit trees (with straw, manure, 
grass, etc.) as they grow older in- 
stead of cultivating, to save time. 
Also those fruit trees planted in the 
yard for shade, blossom and _ food, 
can be mulched or left in grass sod 
after they are started. 
Preparing the Soil 
If the garden is large enough to 
be plowed this can be done in the fall 
or early spring. Where spading is 
done in the smaller gardens this is 
usually done in the spring just as 
soon as the soil is in workable condi- 
tion. Good soil preparation consists 
of thoroughly turning all the soil 
with a plow or spading fork. Then 
the soil should be carefully worked 
down to a well pulverized condition 
with a rake and hoe for the small 
plot and disc and harrow in the 
larger plots. 
Planting 
Fruit trees are planted in the fall 
or spring. Nurseries keep a careful 
check on weather conditions in the 
various sections so as to have the 
stock in your hands at the best time 
for planting in your area. 
It is a good plan to soak the trees 
over night, submerged in water, be- 



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been some delay in planting. 
In selecting the site for your home | 
orchard it is advisable to have it 
near the house if possible, not only 
for convenience but because it adds 
ornamental value to your home prop- 
erty. If the soil in the vicinity of 
house is thin, add a little manure. 
Hither prepare the land as you would 
for any other farm crop or garden, or 
arrange to mulch the trees after planting. 
If the mulch system is used, it is not 
necessary to cultivate land before planting. 
Do not expose trees to sun, wind or 
freezing. Keep roots covered with a wet 
sack while digging the holes, 
Dig the holes big enough to easily ac- 
commodate the roots without any bending. 
Do not plant too deep. Set the tree in the 
center of the hole at a depth about two 
inches deeper than it stood in the nursery 
row. Fill the hole three-fourths full of ~ 
good top soil and tamp it firmly as you 
add each shovelful. It is of prime im- 
portance that the entire root system is in 
close contact with the soil. 
When hole is about three-fourths full, 
pour in two gallons of water and allow 
the water to soak in before filling the 
balance of the hole. If possible use only 
the rich top soil to entirely fill the hole. 
Leave the surface of the soil loose. DO 
NOT ADD ANY FERTILIZER IN THE 
HOLE AS YOU FILL IT. Manure and 
commercial fertilizers should be put ontop 
of the soil only after the tree is planted, 
otherwise there may be some root injury. 
Be sure that your trees are so firmly set 
that they cannot be pulled up without a 
great deal of difficulty (see diagram above). 
IMPORTANT: Make a record of loca- 
tion of trees; then remove label wires to 
prevent cutting limbs, 

Study These “Before and 
After” Pruning Diagrams 
Prune trees as per the instructions 
on the back of the tag that ac- 
companies the tree shipment. After 
this pruning at planting time, very 
little will be necessary until the trees 
come into bearing. Remove annual- 
ly any dead or injured branches. 
Also remove weaker, crossing or 
interfering branches each year. 
[12] 

Peach tree before 
and after pruning 
Apple tree before 
and after pruning 
