The practical fruit grower . es dug, the trees pruned, and every-thing in readiness, the most important part of the work is now tobe done. Only a few trees should be dropped at once, and thesewith the roots in the holes, that they may not be more exposed tothe air than is necessary. Three men are required to do the workmost rapidly; one to carry the trees, hold them in place, spreadout the roots and press the soil in about them; and two withspades, one of whom carries the planting board. Perhaps tentrees have been dropped, when man No. 1. takes up the first tree,while No. 2. fixes the planting
The practical fruit grower . es dug, the trees pruned, and every-thing in readiness, the most important part of the work is now tobe done. Only a few trees should be dropped at once, and thesewith the roots in the holes, that they may not be more exposed tothe air than is necessary. Three men are required to do the workmost rapidly; one to carry the trees, hold them in place, spreadout the roots and press the soil in about them; and two withspades, one of whom carries the planting board. Perhaps tentrees have been dropped, when man No. 1. takes up the first tree,while No. 2. fixes the planting board with the end notches againstthe two stakes. No. 1 now places the tree trunk in the middlenotch of the planting board and spreads the roots, while No. 3 isprepared to throw in some fine, rich, surface soil, which No. 1works carefully in around the roots, treading it firmly in soon as the tree is in its proper place, No. 2 throws his board tothe next hole, and takes up his spade to assist infilling in the soil,. Fig. 13. 16 CULTURE OF THE ORCHARD. In this operation, the secret of success is to see that there are noair spaces around the roots or under the collar, and that the soil ispressed very firmly around the roots. Cultivation.—The effect of stirring the soil after plant-ing trees is: First, in preventing the escape of moisture byforming a layer of loose non-conducting material of thesurface; and second, by hastening the preparation of plantfood in the soil by the air admitted. In young orchards, if it isthought necessary to cultivate, it will be found most economicalto grow some hoed crop among the trees for several years atleast; but as a rule, such crops will not more than pay the cost ofcultivation and manure vised, while they often fall far short ofthis, and the owner must take his profit in the increased valueof his orchard. Any hoed crop may be used that does not requirecultivation late in the fall, for young orchard land should neverbe cultivated bet
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidp, booksubjectfruitculture
