How to succeed with the home orchard

Preface

This little book is intended to cover tiie ABC's of orchard work. It is not a complete, technical discussion of fruit-growing, but has for its purpose the giving of helpful hints and plain directions to those who wish to succeed with the home orchard.

It is a well known fact that the home orchard — and a good one at that — should be on every southern farm. We know that this is not now the case. In fact, not one farm in ten has an up-to-date home orchard. Many people put out fruit trees and let them "knock" for themselves, and the result' is disappointment. By following the simple suggestions given in this little book, anyone, it matters not how inexperienced he may be in fruit growing, can have a good home orchard.

We wish to make it clear tliat we have attempted in this book to discuss this proposition solely from the standpoint of the farmer who is interested in fruit-growing only to the extent of having a home orchard to supply the home with all the fresh fruits needed, and who, from time to time, markets the surplus fruit in the fresh form in nearby towns, either by taking it directly there in a truck, wagon or buggy, or by shipping it by express..

The Home Orchard Brings Many Benefits. — We wish rigtht here and now to make a plea for the home orchard. No home or farm, where there is available space for a home orchard, is anything like complete without one. It has been proven again and again that those who consume a liberal supply of fruits and vegetables have far less sickness tlian those who consume few, if any, fruits and vegetables, but eat heavily of meats.

And then it is the absolute right of every person living on a farm — both old and young (especially the young) to have an abundance of fruits. The farm boy or girl who cannot get plenty of peaches, apples, plums, grapes, etc., is denied a needed pleasure. All of these can be grown so easily and with such little expense that it is an injustice to the farm family not to grow them.

After reading this little book any person of ordinary intelligence can succeed with a home orchard if he will just follow the instructions given. If you are one of those who has been doing without fruit', make up your mind right now not to continue in this class.

L. A. NiVEN.

December, 1920.

Chapter I. Plan Of The Orchard

The very first thing .to do after deciding to set out an orchard is to make a careful plan of same. This should be done before it is even decided just where the orchard is to be located. First decide how much ground is to be given to the orchard ; then decide how many trees of the different kinds of fruits are to be set ; then figure the distance apart, between the rows and between the fruit trees in the rows, for the different kinds of fruits.

Make a Drawing of the Orchard. — It need not be drawn to scale, but can be drawn so as to serve the purpose satisfactorily merely by the use of a pencil and rule.

Draw a square block in the middle of the sheet of paper, making a double line — or a very heavy line — indicating the outer edges and the ends of the orchard. Then draw a line in the direction the rows are to run, making it a thin narrow line, with either pencil or pen and ink.

Then on these lines draw a circle indicating the place where each fruit tree is to be set. Of course, before drawing these circles you must decide just how many rows of the different kinds of fruits you are going to have, and decide the distance apart, so as to place the circle in the right place.

How TO Distinguish Varieties.

Such a plan as this can be drawn up very quickly, and by writing under each circle the name of the variety of each fruit it will be easy to determine just what variety each tree is, and this knowledge may prove very desirable at some time in the future. Those who are not experts in the matter cannot always tell the variety of peaches, apples, etc., by the fruit itself, and by referring to this little mapplan will enable one to tell what variety any particular tree is.

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Plan of the Orchard 9

Draw Up Plan. — Of course, each side of the orchard . plan should he labeled according to direction, that is, east, west, north or south.

Some may deem this needless work, but we have had enough experience in the setting of small home orchards to know that this is not only not a needless piece of work, but highly desirable. It does not require nuich work and thought to draw up such a plan and to properly label it. Therefore, we earnestly recommend that everyone setting a home orchard draw up one of these plans.

Chapter II. The Site Or Location Of The Orchard

The site or location of the orchard is extremely important. Careful thought should be given to this phase of the matter before the fruit trees are even ordered. Study every available piece of ground on your farm and decide which is the best place, all conditions being considered.

Give Careful Consideration to tiie Fertility of the Soil. —

One thing that we should like to emphasize : Don't pick out a poor piece of ground for the home orchard. In the cotton belt we believe one of the best methods of determining how rich a piece of ground should be selected for the orchard is to say that the orchard shall be put on a piece of ground that will produce not less than a bale of cotton per acre when properly fertilized and well cultivated. In that part of the South above the cotton belt we believe a piece of ground that will produce at least 35 to 40 bushels of corn per acre should be selected. This, of course, is looking at it from the standpoint of soil fertility alone. But we want to emphasize this particular point, because fruit trees are plants just the same as corn or cotton, and to dc the best they must be planted on soil that is reasonably fertile.

Of course, the home orchard should be as near the house as possible. Still, it should not be put right near, unless the right kind of soil can be found there.

Ground Must Be Well Drained.

Select Site With Natural Drainage. — The ground where the orchard is to be set must be well drained. It is a well known fact that peach trees cannot stand "wet feet," and apple trees and all other kinds of fruit trees are not much different in this respect. Therefore, after picking out a piece of ground that is rich enough, we must consider

The Site or Location of the Orchard 11

whether or not it is well drained, and if it is not well drained, drainage must be provided if we would succeed with the orchard.

Drainage of Air Is Also Important. — Not only must the piece of ground selected be well drained as far as draining of water is concerned, but the air-drainage must be good. It is a well known fact that cold air is heavier than warm air, and therefore the cold air settles to the lowest places. This is why one very often sees early spring frost in the branch bottoms and other low places while no frost appears up on the edge or top of the hill.

When to Plant on Level Ground.— Of course, in any section where the land is all level and there are no high places, then, of necessity one must plant the fruit trees on level ground. When this is the case the proper thing to do is to carefully select the best location with reference to soil drainage and air drainage ; because it is an inexorable law that cold air is heavier than warm air and must settle to the lowest places. Therefore, on cold nights the cold air will invariably be found in the lower spots and the warmer air on the higher places. If these points are kept in mind in selecting the location for the home orchard, there is little doubt but that the average person can select the best place on the farm for the orchard.

The planting of trees in such low places may very well mean the difference between a crop of fruit and no fruit at all. Therefore, it is highly important that in selecting the site or location, one should give serious consideration to this phase of the matter. We should not put the fruit trees down in a low place, even though that low place may be fairly well drained as far as the draining off of the water is concerned. It may be accepted as a fact that the lowest places are not well drained as far as air drainage is concerned, and the setting of an orchard in such a place is inviting the loss of a number of crops of fruit that would not be lost if the trees were planted on a hill.

Plant Trees on High Ground. — From this discussion it can very well be seen that seldom if ever should one plant fruit trees anywhere other than on a high spot of ground, provided one is not in a section that is all level. Usually the house and barn are on the highest spots, and this will naturally throw the orchard right near the house. However, in many instances the house and barns are on low spots on the farm, and in such cases by all means put the orchard a good distance away from the house if this is necessary in order to get it on a high spot.

Select Soil That Roots Can Penetrate Easily. — While the fertility of the soil and the drainage, with reference to both water and air, are very important points, it is also important to consider the type of soil. On many pieces of ground we find the hard pan so very hard as to make it almost impossible for the young fruit trees to force their roots through it. Then, in other places we find solid rock within a foot or two of the surface of the ground. Of course, fruit trees shotild not be planted in such places as these, because the roots must go quite deep into the soil if the trees are to grow and flourish for years to come. Therefore, one should satisfy himself at least that the place where the orchard is to be planted is not underlaid with solid rock as near as two or three feet of the surface of the soil.

Clay Subsoil Desirable.

Best Soil For Fruit Trees. — A soil with a clay subsoil is very desirable, but this should be at least a foot or more below the surface of the ground, if possible. Very loose soil, either sandy or gravelly, is not so desirable as the more or less compact soil with a clay subsoil. By this we do not mean that a hard soil is desirable, nor do we mean to say that a sandy soil or gravelly soil will not do fairly well ; but we do mean that a soil which is compact and which has a clay subsoil is usually the most satisfactory. The subsoil should not be too hard, but open and porous enough to allow water to soak through and to allow the roots to pene-

The Site or Location of the Orchard 13

trate the soil without any undue effort. One who has had experience in farming will be able to pick out the kind of soil that will be best by following these suggestions.

Location of Utmost Importance. — We emphasize the absolute necessity of carefully considering the location of the orchard, because one little mistake with reference to this matter will often mean the difference between a good home orchard and one that is no good at all. We have known many folks to set their home orchards in low places and the result would be magnifi'cent trees — large, beautiful and handsome, but with a small amount of fruit, if any. Therefore, we repeat, put the home orchard on a high piece of ground, preferably near the house, but if it can't be had near the house, then some distance away.

Chapter III. When, Where And How To Buy Fruit Trees

Buy Trees From Reliable Nurseries Only. — The buying of fruit trees is of the utmost importance, and we would especially emphasize the point that it is undesirable to buy from any except nurseries known to be reliable. There are some who are rather careless in their methods of business. Ninety-eight per cent are honest, but watch out for that remaining two per cent.

There is an organization known as The American Association of Nurserymen which guarantees a square deal to every person purchasing fruit trees from any member of that association. Therefore, the safe thing to do is to buy only from some member of this association, or from some nurseryman whose reputation is personally known to the buyer. Of course, those who know some nurseryman and know that he- is absolutely reliable, should have no hesitation in buying from him, whether or not he may be a member of The American Association of Nurserymen, but those who are not personally acquainted with some nurseryman, or at least know enough about him to know that his business methods are high-class, and that he will give an absolutely square deal, had better buy only from some nursery that is a member of The American Association of Nurserymen. The Southern Nurserymen's Association also has in its membership only those nurserymen who are known to be reliable.

Buy Fruit Trees Early.

Time to Buy Fruit Trees.— Now, as to the time when the trees should be bought. In the first place, they should be bought early enough in the season so that one may be reasonably sure of getting what he wants. Like every other commodity, fruit trees are sometimes scarce. Of course, we sometimes find a nurseryman overstocked, but that is not always the case. So in order to be safe, it is always

When, Where and How to Buy Fruit Trees 15

advisable to put in the order early in the season, preferably during September or October, with instructions to ship out at the most opportune time during late fall or winter.

The Kind of Trees Is Also Important. — Keep in mind that what you want to get is a high-class, well-bred and well-grown fruit tree. Buy it on this basis and not on the basis of how much cord wood it contains. We believe that entirely too many people who are not acquainted with the best methods of fruit culture, think that what they should do when buying fruit trees is to get the biggest tree possible. This is not the case ; this is not the way to buy fruit trees, because the larger the tree, the more severe the shock when it is dug from the nursery row and transplanted to the orchard.

Buy Medium Size and Not Large Trees.

A small fruit tree that is well-grown, clean, straight and free of disease is worth far more than the two or three year old fruit tree. Of course, the nurseryman can supply you with) what you want, and will try to do so, but what you need is the medium size, clean, well-grown fruit tree, and as said above, not one that is big enough to produce cord wood.

In the case of the peach tree, the one-year-old tree is what should be bought. By one-year-old, we mean a peach tree that is either one year old from the bud, or that was budded in June and dug up and sold the following winter. On the whole, we should say. tell the nurserymen that what you want is a medium size, well-grown tree rather than one of the older and larger trees that so many people often insist on having.

Buyers Are Protected. — It is required that all of the nurseries in the various states be inspected by the State Board of Entomology before they can ship trees. This is done in order to insure, as far as possible, that fruit trees will not be sent out that are infested with insect or fungous pests. The buyer of fruit trees is protected as much as possible by the State Boards of Entomology, but in order to insure even further protection, be careful from whom you buy and be sure to buy only from those nurserymen in whose word you have confidence. And here again we get right back to this matter of buying from members of the American Association of Nurserymen, or Southern Nurserymen's Association because the rules of their own organization demand that a customer be given what he buys and in as nearly perfect condition as possible.

Buy Only From Nurserymen of Known Reputation. — We

do not wish to become tiresome on this subject, but we cannot close this chapter without again warning those who would produce good, high-class fruit in the home orchard, to give very serious consideration to this matter of the kind of trees that are bought. Do not purchase from these "wild cat" agents who agree to set a certain number of fruit trees and come back and spray and prune them for five years, for so much money. In ninety-nine cases out of one hundred, agents who sell in this way are doing a crooked business, because reliable, up-to-date nurserymen do not sell fruit trees in this way. And, as a rule, the person who sells them this way will never be seen by those purchasing the fruit trees after the trees are paid for. There are good fruit tree agents ; there are honest ones representing honest nurserymen, but they have credentials which will show that they have authority to represent these high-class nurserymen. Don't fool with these "flim-flam" agents who offer something that reliable nurserymen do not offer.

Chapter IV Description Of Some Leading Varieties Of Apples And Peaches

No attempt is made in this chapter to describe any large number of apples and peaches. Neither is there an eiTort made to go into a very technical description of the varieties, but we believe something about the size, flavor, keeping qualities, etc., should be helpful.

The following seven varieties of apples are probably those most commonly planted in the South : Early Harvest, Red June, Horse, Stayman W'inesap, Mammoth Black Twig. Winesap and Yates. We shall therefore give brief descriptions of these seven varieties.

The Early Harvest is one of the old stand-bys for early apples. It is yellow and medium large. The flavor is most excellent, there being just enough acid in it to make it desirable from this standpoint. It bears as nearly every season, year in and year out, as almost any apple we know.

The Red June is one of the best known early apples throughout the South and, as its name indicates, usually ripens in June, although in the upper portions of the South, it may not ripen until July. It is not a round apple, but ismore nearly oblong, and medium size. The quality is thoroughly good, and on account of its earliness and other good qualities, should be planted extensively in the South

The Horse Apple is one of the best known summer apples in many sections of the South. It is a large apple somewhat of a greenish yellow color and is very acid. It usually ripens from very late June through July and into August, and is a most excellent bearer and a good keeper.

The Stayman Winesap was developed from a seedling of the Winesap variety. The frnit is of excellent quality, and small or medium in size. It is red in color and is said to do better on poor soil and to produce a stronger tree than the parent — ^the Winesap. Like the Winesap, it is one of the very best apples.

APPLE PICKING SCENE

Some Leading Varieties of Apples and Peaches 19

The Mammoth Black Tzvig is one of the largest varieties of apples grown in the South. The skin is a very deep red but; the flesh is slightly yellowish. It is a very productive variety, an excellent keeper, and therefore a good commercial variety, as well as a good one for home use.

The Winesap is indeed one of the very best late varieties of apples for the South. It is medium in size, red in color, and a most excellent keeper. In quality, it is doubtful if any apple grown in the South exceeds it, and it is by all odds, one of the very best for the South.

The Yates is a small apple, but one of the surest and one of the heaviest bearers that we have. It is a red apple with little whitish dots all over it, and the flesh is yellow. It is an excellent keeping variety and the quality is good. Although this is a very small apple, it is one of the most dependable varieties that we have.

Description of Some of the Leading Varieties OF Peaches.

The Mayflozver is one of the best of the early peaches. The quality, however, is comparatively poor, as none of these very early varieties possess any real quality. This variety, however, colors up to a very red color and looks good. It is a good shipper and on account of ripening early, is a very desirable variety either for the home orchard or for those who are shipping to the local or distant markets. Although it is one of the earliest varieties we have, it is a late bloomer and therefore often produces a crop of fruit when some of the other varieties get killed. The merits of this variety are its earliness and hardiness.

The Carman is a large peach, ships well, and the flavor is good. On account of the tough skin it is considered one of the leading shipping varieties. The skin might be described as a creamy, whitish color. It is one of the earliest standard varieties, and in the central part of the South usually ripens right around June 15.

The Early Belle or Hiley is one of the leading commercial varieties of the South. It colors up quite well, is large and a creamy white. It is not only a good variety for shipping purposes, hut it is an excellent variety for the home orchard. It ripens soon after the Carman.

The Belle of Georgia is one of the leading commercial varieties also, and is planted quite extensively. It is a very large peach, most attractive in appearance, possesses an excellent flavor, and in quality is second to no peach grown. It is a heavy bearer and might be considered one of the very best of the two or three leading varieties of peaches for the South, whether grown commercially or for the home orchard. It ripens just after the Hiley.

The Elberfa is probably the king of all peaches. The quality is not altogether so good as some of the others, but on account of the large size, excellent keeping qualities and excellent shipping qualities, it is certainly one of the leading — ^if not the leading commercial variety. The flesh is yellowish in appearance and the skin is more or less yellow, with some red spread over it. It is an excellent variety for canning and for eating, even though the quality is not quite equal to the Hiley or Belle of Georgia. No home orchard is complete without some of these. They ripen in the middle part of the South right around July 15th and follow rather closely the Belle of Georgia.

A variety that ripens just a few days after the Elberta, and a comparatively new variety, is the J. H. Hale. It is a very large peach, larger than the Elberta. and many say that it possesses better quality and better flavor than the Elberta. The flesh is yellow. It ships well and is, all things considered, one of our leading varieties, even though it has not been known for many years and is not so well established as the Elberta, the Hiley, and the Belle of Georgia.

A variety that follows the Elberta rather closely in ripening is the Chinese Kling. This is a very large variety that is slightly yellow in color with red at the tips. It is a clingstone variety, it is quite juicy, and one of the best of the late varieties.

Chapter V. Treatment Of Trees When Received From Nursery

Set Trees Immediately After Arrival. — It is of the

utmost importance that fruit trees be given the proper attention immediately after they are received from the nursery. Of course, the proper thing to do is to set them at once, but very often this cannot be done. The ground may be too wet ; it may not be ready, or there are a number of other things which may make it ahiiost impossible for one to set the fruit trees immediately after receiving them, and the purpose of this chapter is to outline briefly just what may be done in a case of this kind in order to prevent" damage to the young trees.

In the first place, as soon as notice is received from the express ofihce that the trees have arrived, go get them. Don't let them remain there for several days. Of course, when they are well packed they will keep several days in the package, but that is not the way to get the best results. Get the fruit trees, and immediately unpack them, because the roots are bound up tightly in the packing material and the sooner they are released from this material the better.

Moisten Roots \^ hen Trees Arrive. — If for any reason the fruit trees have been on the road a good long while and the packing material around the roots has dried out and the roots are more or less dry, then immediately after unwrapping put them in a puddle of water. It is better to put them in puddled water than in clear water, because the fine soil particles will cling to the roots and thereby help to hold more of the moisture on the roots. They should not be kept in this puddled water long, just a few minutes ; just long enough for them to become thoroughly moistened.

The above treatment should be given whether or not the trees are to be set immediately, because the roots should never be allowed to dry out at any time. If they are not to he set immediately, they should be "heeled in," which is nothing more nor less than planting the trees in trenches.

How to "Heel In" Fruit Trees. — To properly "heel in" fruit trees, dig a trench rather wide and six to ten inches deep. Place the roots of the trees in the trench so that the trees will be in at an agle of about 30 to 35 degrees. It is better to put them in this way than to set them straight up, but of course if one wishes to dig a deep enough and wide enough trench they may be set up straight. But that is not the usual method of "heeling in."

"HEELING IN" FRUIT TREES

After the trees are properly placed in the trench, throw the dirt in on the roots and pack the soil lightly. It should be packed sufficiently to hold the moisture around the roots. By "heeling in" the fruit trees in this way, they can be kept several weeks during the winter time without material damage resulting. It should be kept in mind, however, that, other conditions being equal, it is always best to set the fruit trees immediately after they are received.

Proper Method Handling Fruit Trees.

Don't Expose Roots to Sunshine. — In setting the fruit trees, be careful not to allow thd roots to be exposed to the

Treatment of Trees Received From Nursery 23

sunshine. We have seen many folks in planting fruit trees go ahead and dig the holes and leave the fruit tree roots exposed to sunshine and air a half day, or even a day or two, before the trees were set. This is inviting disaster ; don't do it. Don't put the fruit trees where the roots will be exposed to sunshine even for ten minutes before they arc to be set.

A good method is to put the fruit trees in a barrel or bucket of water and keep them there until ready to set. Of course, they should not be put in water any greater length of time before setting than is necessary, and it is better to use the puddled water, or dirty water, than it is to use clear water, for the reasons mentioned in the first part of this chapter.

Never Let Roots Become Dry. — The point to keep in mind is that fruit tree roots should never be allowed to dry out. More fruit trees die from this trouble when being set than probably all others combined, especially when the planting is done by inexperienced persons. It is comparatively easy to get a fruit tree to live if it is properly set and the roots have not been allowed to dry out. But if the roots have been allowed to dry out, then it is a mighty hard job to get any reasonable number of the trees to survive. We cannot emphasize this point too strongly that the roots should not be allowed to dry out, and keep in mind that the nurserymen usually deliver these trees to you with the roots in good shape and moist, and it is up to you to see that they are not allowed to dry out from the time you receive them until they are set.