PREPARATION OF THE 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 prepara- 
tion by plowing is not practical the holes should be 
dug at least two feet wide and 16 inches deep. In 
filling the holes 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 incorrect 
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 planting. 
Ordinarily stock should be planted as soon as received. 
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 
Planting Hints... 
“Give fools their gold, and knaves their power, 
Let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall; 
Who sows a field, or trains a flower, 
Or plants a tree, is more than all.” 
—Whittier. 
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 transplanting 
nursery stock is often a disputed question. It is well 
know 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 winter, 
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 oc- 
cupy all the space and choke the trees. A coarse mulch- 
ing 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 giving 
information on methods and means of controlling in- 
sect and fungus diseases. This Bulletin is free—address 
Illinois State University, Urbana, and ask for the Bulle- 
tin on Spraying. 
DISTANCES FOR PLANTING 
Rows Apart 
Apart In Rows 
Blackberry seer seeee een 8 feet 2 feet 
Gooséberrya sen ce eee 6 feet 4 feet 
Gurranticcsn nee re ee eee 6 feet 4 feet 
Strawberry sets coset meen 3 feet 2 feet 
ASDAvARUS) on eo tee ete coe 3 feet 2 feet 
How to Plant Shrubs 
IN PREPARING SHRUB 
BEDS SPADE DEEPLY. 
KEEP SHRUBS 20 7a 
O25 INCHES AWAY 
FROM MASONRY 4 
CLOSE TOGETHER, 
BIG SHRUBS FAR APART. 
we 
IN PLACING ALTER 
OR ZIG ZAG THEM. 
PLANT THREE OR MORE OF A KIND TOGETHER. 
24 
Rows Apart 
Apart In Rows 
PA TD CMM Ey seein mercer veerss 30 feet 20 feet 
Pear acne Pi ietea scout Wines 16 feet 12 feet 
LeAES baat tse lcie ween Kate Sener eay Soe one 20 feet 16 feet 
Peachian samt eran hee oats one 16 feet 10 feet 
Grapeae. AAGe anh elt 7 feet 6 feet 
Raspberry? wea cac sions scones 7 feet 3 feet 
How to Plant Evergreens 
1 
=aR HOLE AT LEAST A FOOT LARGER AND 
<a Dee PER THAN EARTH ATTACHED TO TREE. 
aa Ma COMPLETELY SURROUND ROOT OR BALL 
(ay ee OF EARTH WITH RICH LOAMY TOP SOIL. 
am’. 
ae ee q 
Cc A é 
/—¥/ HOLE SLIGHTLY gam 
EPER THAN TOPg 
3 
PACK TOP SOIL 
©4 FIRMLY WITH 
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ITO 
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