PLANTING FRUIT TREES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 87, 19 June 1908, Page 3

PLANTING FRUIT TREES.

MIXED PLANTING I'XDE SIR ABLE. From now until the end of August, preparing land, planti igneworchards, and extending old on::, will engage the attention of numerous fruitgrower;. This work oiYn does not receive the care that its importance entities it to. Preparing the ground for the trees and planting them is only done once, and it should, therefore, be well done, for when in position, the trees have to remain there during the rest of their existence, or so long as they produce profitable crops. Crooked rows of trees give an orchard an unkempt appearance, and instead of being a credit to the grower, only ancrd an indication of the sloven'y methods of the man who planted them. If the orchard is planted on the square system, it should be so arranged that straight rows of trees meet the eye in almost every direction. Land intended for orcharding should be well broken up and allowed to sweeten before beingmeasured and staked in readiness for the young trees. The positions in which it is intended to plant them should then be well dug, and if time permits, the earth should be thrown out and the hole left for a week or more to the mellowing influence of the sun and air. Young trees planted in congenial soil, under these conditions, will quickly outstrip those planted where similar attention has not been given. In some districts this year's planting is likely to be retarded by the dryness of the season, for, owing' to the hardness of the soil, the ploughs have not yet been put into use. In these places planting will probably not be done much before July or August. The four or five years that it takes for most fruit trees to come into bearing are long, trying years to the orchardist not overburdened with capital. In his desire to obtain a quicker return he sometimes makes the mistake of planting his orchard with mixed trees between the permanent rows, hoping while they are growing to get additional crops from his area. His intention is to take these intervening trees out at an early date, and so leave room for the remaining trees to develop. The plan is a bad one, for the auxiliary trees generally bear fairly well, and the owner, being loth to root them out, postpones the operation from year to year. Only, when at last they are taken out does the full extent of the damage done become noticeable. It is found that they have been robbing the others of their nourishment, and the remaining trees are very frequently stunted. The ground, too, is worn out, for the closeness at which the trees have been planted has prevented it from being properly worked and cultivated. When it is intended to replant a block, in which the worn-out trees are to be taken out the following year, the plan of planting young trees between them may be adopted, for in such cases a year may be saved, and the ground may be well manured, and green crops ploughed in before the new trees have had time to extend their roots. At other times mixed planting is generally disastrous.

LAYING OUT THE GROUND. In selecting new sites for fruitgrowing purposes, the gentle slope of a hill should be'ehosen when possible. Such a position has many advantages to recommend it, chief amongst which are its adaptability to draining, and the benefits of the sun. The position, however, should not be too exposed, or if exposed it should have shelter belts of ornamental trees planted round its boundaries, to grow up with the young trees, and shelter them from high winds, which lessen their crops and rnjure them. Another matter which requires more attention than is at present given to it, is that of spacing the trees. Trees are often planted too close. As the trees grow up, branches from adjoining rows meet one another, or come so close to doing so, that they often hamper the work of cultivation, making it next to impossible to get the horses and scarifiers in near the trunks without injuryito the branches, thus considerably increasing the amount of hand cultivation, which is so expensive a matter. It is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule as to the distance at which trees should be planted apart, for the grower must be guided by his own experience and by climatic and economical considerations. In a general way, it may be said, that in average soils the trees should be planted no nearer than 20 feet to each other; while in rich soils, where heavy growth and big trees are to be expected, 24 feet, and even 26 feet is none too wide. For all practical purposes the square system of plantmgout the trees is to be recommended. What is generally referred to as the square system is when trees are planted at regular intervals apart, in rows, which are the same distance apart from one another as the trees in them. When laying out orchard on this system, a square block should first be marked off, along the four boundaries, with stakes put inat the distance apart, at which it is intended to plant. A surveyor's chain, or piece of fencing wire, marked with the distance required, should then be tightly stretched across the field from one stake to the corresponding one on the other side, and pegs put in along the line. Another plan is to use a sighting-board.