AVING decided upon the cultivation of fruit and establishing an orchard, it becomes necessary to fix upon its dimensions and extent. In consideration of this question of extent, two other important matters are to be taken into accountthese are, the quantity of ground you may have suitable and to spare, and the amount of means you can set apart for the purpose. In settling these points you should possess, first, a knowledge of the kind of ground necessary; and second, a determination to do the work well, at whatever cost.

For an ordinary family of five to ten persons, not less than three acres will suffice for home consump tion use, and as many more as can be made profitable for market use. On these three acres can be stocked from two to three hundred standard trees of the different sorts of fruit, besides a due proportion of all the smaller kinds-an amount which, if properly managed, will in a few years afford an ample supply for family use.

COST.

The cost of first planting will vary widely in different localities-depending on the condition of the ground, the quality of the soil, prices of trees, price of labor, etc. An approximate calculation may be made, however, by estimating the cost of preparing the ground and planting the trees, at an amount equal to the cost of the trees in the nursery; and, when ditching and underdraining is necessary, at double that amount. The following rule laid down by Thomas Gregg in his admirable work on fruit culture should be inflexibly observed in all cases: Never slight the work, nor plant an inferior tree, because it is cheaper to do so! Work half done is very poor economy in planting an orchard, as well as in most other things; and a tree costing only half price in the nursery may turn out to be a very dear one in the end. The very best varieties (and these are not always the most costly), as well as the very best tress, are those from which you must expect to realize the most profit.

ESTIMATE FOR THREE ACRES

The following estimate will answer for an orchard of three acres of ground, with such variations as circumstances may require. [The number of trees will vary somewhat as the shape of the ground is

varied; the calculation is based on a plat twentyour rods long by twenty wide.]

Eighty apple trees, thirty-three feet apart, covering

two acres.

Seventy peach-trees, sixteen and a half feet apart, set around three sides of the whole.

There will then be eft in front one acre, which may be divided into two equal plats of 132 by 166 feet. These may be filled as follows:

IN NO. 1.-Twenty standard pears, thirty-three feet apart, in continuation of the apple rows..

Thirty-two dwarf pears, in the same rows, seven feet apart and thirteen feet from the standards. And

Twenty-seven pyramid and dwarf plums, quinces, cherries, etc., in the alternate rows, sixteen and a half feet apart.

IN No. 2. Such number of almonds, apricots, grapes, nectarines, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries, as fancy may dictate, and as will stock it properly.

The above estimate will constitute an orchard of about 250 orchard trees-standard and dwarf-and perhaps as many more of the garden or bush fruits.

DISTANCES.

Every planter has his own opinion regarding the distance which trees should be planted from each other. Besides, some kinds of soils and localities require greater distance than others; and some varieties will bear to stand closer than other varie. ties of the same fruit. A good rule is that, when full grown, the tops should not be nearer to each other than one third their diameter. An apple-tree, for example, when fully grown, will spread, on an average, to a distance of twenty-five feet, the rule will give thirty-three feet as the proper distance apart. Peaches seldom spread, or should not, if properly pruned, more than twelve to fifteen feet; the rule gives sixteen to twenty feet s the distance to plant. In planting an orchard of apples, with plenty of ground, thirty-three feet is probably the safest distance; yet, if ground is an object, they will do at twentyfive feet Apples may be planted a little wider-say forty feet -and rows of peach-trees planted both ways between: as the peach not being so long-lived, will die out before the apple has attained to a large growth.

When the saving of ground is an important consideration, and none but standard trees are to be planted, more space may be obtained by planting in rows, according to the following diagram :

Much has been said and written concerning the location of orchards. Situation and aspect doubtless have their effects, yet no one should neglect to plant merely because he cannot give his trees such an aspect as he may desire. Trees in favorable situations will undoubtedly produce more good crops than those less fortunately situated; yet many seasons occur when the causes of the difference do not arise, and trees in any exposure will produce abundantly. To this general rule there can be very few exceptions, namely-Elevated situations are better than lowlands, and the brows and sides of hills are to be chosen in preference to the valleys. Numerous proofs have been adduced to show that the peach might be successfully grown much farther north than it usually is, if the most elevated positions were chosen instead of the warm valleys. So, farther south, frequent severe frosts cut off the crome on the low grounds.

while those on the more elevated and exposed situations are not affected.

The old rule was to choose a southern or south-eastern exposure A northern exposure is now very generally preferred. This is because the action of the warm sun, in a southern ex. posure, will too soon thaw away the frost about the roots, and occasion the buds to swell-leaving them exposed to alternations of frost and thaw In the West, the rolling prairies near the woodland, the hazel ruffs that skirt the prairie and wood, and the richest portions of the timbered bluffs or highlands that overlook the rivers, are regarded as the best locations. The best bearing orchards are those on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi at the Lower Rapids.

SOIL

Fruit trees, like corn and cabbages, will grow on almost any kind of soil; yet some soils are more suited to their natures than others. They require a soil strong enough to give the tree a vigorous growth, and the better and more vigorous the growth of the tree, the better will be the character of the fruit. As a general thing, any soil that will produce a good crop of corn will be good for fruit-trees. A strictly alluvial soil, however, is not to be recommended; as, while it will produce a rank growth of wood it will not make so hardy or fruitful a tree; nor will the quality of the fruit be equal to that grown on a less fertile soil. A calcareous soil is the best adapted to most kinds of fruit; yet in other than limestone regions a gravelly or sandy loam will be found to answer a good purpose Stiff clayey soils are not promotive of a good growth; yet they can be rendered available by a proper incorporation of sand, manure, and vegetable mold. Most soils-even those in the limestone regionrequire an addition of more or less lime and potash as these in gredients enter largely into the composition of most fruits.

PREPARATION OF THE GROUND.

Not one in a hundred of those who plant trees bestows the necessary care and attention to the preparation of the ground. A very common mode is to dig a hole about a foot wide and five or six inches deep, stick in the tree, bending the roots or cutting them off to bring them within the proper compassshovel in a few spadefuls of dirt or sod, tread it down with the foot, and the job is done! If the tree grows, well if not, the planter has only been unlucky, and all the neighbors conclude not to plant, it is so hard to make trees grow! Is it any wonder that three out of every four trees taken from the nursery die without having reached the stage of fruit-bearing?

In the first place, the soil must be dry before planting If not so naturally, it must be made so by deep plowing, and, if this will not suffice, then by underdraining. A clay subsoil should be underdrained to the depth of three feet; but any soil not very retentive of water may be sufficiently drained by the use of a subsoil plow and a strong team With good underdrain ing and a proper admixture of manure, ashes, sand, and loam, the toughest clay soils may be reduced to a proper condition for fruit trees. All soils that are sufficiently porous to drain well should be first prepared with the plow, harrow, and sub-soiler; and then the holes for the trees should be made only of proper size and depth to admit the roots in their natural position, and

at two or three inches greater depth than they stood in the nursery, Deep holes in a hard and tenacious subsoil will injure the trees by retaining too much water. Such soils should be avoided for a fruit orchard; or if used, should first be properly underdrained. Many young trees die from the effects of standing in deep holes, prepared for them at great expense.

Previous to planting, the soil should be enriched with wellrotted barn-yard manure, thoroughly intermixed and pulverized by the harrow. If planting is to be done in the spring, the plowing should have been gone through with the fall previous, and then thoroughly stirred again just before planting When the whole field is thoroughly prepared by the plow, it can be cultivated to some useful crop, and the trees will be more likely to receive the necessary tillage than they would if standing in the field alone.

MANURING.

It is a quite common experience that the quality of fruit in orchards will, after a few years, gradually decline, yielding only small and imperfect specimens. Some varieties will show this decline much sooner than others. Negligence in regard to manuring is generally the cause of this deterioration. The application of barn-yard manure will cure the evil, though, with some fruits, other ingredients are very valuable. Ashes is a good fertilizer for most fruits, and is worth more to the fruitgrower, as such, than for any other purpose In the peach orchard there is little danger of getting too much. A free use of lime on some soils is very beneficial, and in many cases salt may be used to advantage This latter has been strongly recommended as a preventive to blight in the pear.

TRANSPLANTING.

LAYING OFF THE GROUND,

The best way to lay off the ground, after it has been fully prepared and the distances decided upon, is to measure along the sides and ends, setting a stake at the proper distances, and then driving small stakes, say one foot high at all the points where the lines thus indicated intersect each other. After the ground is staked commence digging the holes-and this should be completed before the trees are removed from the nursery.

SEASON FOR TRANSPLANTING.

The proper season for transplanting a tree is any time between the falling of the leaf in autumn and the swelling of the buds in spring, and, in the case of a hardy tree, as the apple, it probably makes but little difference whether it be done before the winter or after it With other trees it is different; the less hardy ones, with diminished strength, cannot so easily withstand the severe frosts and piercing nor'westers of that season. Hence they should be transplanted only in the spring. Apples may be removed either in November or April, provided it be done well, with probably about equal success.

SETTING OUT TREES.

It requires three men, or two men and a boy, to set ouï trees as it should be done. Before inserting the roots into the hole

prepared to receive them, they should first be dipped into mud made of the rich surface mold, to cause the earth to adhere all their parts. This done, place the tree in its proper position in the hole, shovel in a small quantity of the finely pulverized mold, and then give it a gentle shaking suddenly up and down in order to settle the dirt closely about the roots-one person to hold the tree to its proper position, while another shovels in the earth. When a sufficient quantity of the earth has been placed upon the roots to bring it level with the surface of the ground, tread it down gently with the foot, and then add more, rounding it to a slight mound with the stem of the tree for a center. The tree should be placed in the hole so as to allow it to stand about as deep, when the earth becomes settled around it, as it stood in the nursery

It is recommended by some to plant the tree in the orchard in the same relative position to the points of the compass that it occupied in the nursery. This may or may not be bene ficial; at any rate, it can do no harm, and it is quite an easy matter to mark the tree before it is lifted, so as to indicate its position

If the planting be done in autumn, there should be a mound of earth ten inches to a foot high, and three feet in diameter. raised around the tree to steady it, and protect its roots from frost and the bark from mice When the ground becomes well settled in the spring, the mound should be removed

TRIMMING.

Before setting out, each tree should undergo a proper degree of trimming This requires considerable judgment. As the branches and roots of a tree depend upon each other for support, it will readily be understood that neither should be overtasked In removing it from the nursery, all the small fibrous roots, and sometimes many of the larger, are lost; hence the top must be trimmed to correspond. To do this properly, all the leading shoots should be shortened back one-half or twothirds of the current year's growth; and, if the roots have been much injured, the leading branches should be headed back still

more

TAKING FROM THE NURSERY,

Trees should be injured as little as possible in removing them from the nursery, Taking them from the row, and tying in such a manner as to be easily transported, is properly the nurseryman's business; yet it is always best to keep a watchful eye to the work Especial care should be taken that the roots are not broken or bruised or cut away by the spade in taking them from the ground; and when any of the roots do become injured, they should be nicely cut off with a sharp knife. As soon as dug, the trees should be carefully arranged in con venient bunches, as much damp earth as possible placed about their roots, and then closely enveloped in some coarse sacking, or other suitable thing, and firmly tied with strong cord. If they are to be re-set at but a short distance from the nursery, these precautions are unnecessary, though, if they are to be carried any considerable distance, too much care cannot be used in this respect. In all cases the roots should be carefully secured against exposure to the air and sun.

If from any cause the trees are not to be immediately planted,

they should be placed in the ground, root and stock, by digging a trench and shoveling loose dirt upon them, to a depth suffi cient to exclude the air The weather will not always permit of immediate re-planting but it should in no case be delayed longer than is absolutely necessary. This covering should be done in the orchard or garden, and the trees should be removed from the trench one by one as they are planted.

SELECTION OF TREES.

There is a great diversity of opinion in regard to the proper size of a tree for transplanting, though the best informed and most experienced planters now prefer a two-year-old tree rather than one of a larger size In thrifty, well-tilled nurseries, trees of that age will average about five feet high; and such a tree can be more easily handled, and is also in a better condition to sustain the violence done to its nature by transplanting, and better able to recover from it, than those of an older and larger growth Care should also be taken to select trees of well. branched and well-formed heads, and of as near the same size, vigor, and general condition as possible.

AFTER-CULTURE.

PLOWING AND HOEING.

One of the most common errors among the people in regard to fruit-growing is that pertaining to after-culture Many suppose that all that is necessary to get good fruit is to set the tree in the ground, right end downward, to be sure, and nature will do the rest This is a most fatal error-nothing can be more unreasonable It is as absolutely necessary that the tree which you have planted should receive culture and care afterward, as that the corn which rustles in the breeze should be plowed and hoed, and harrowed, to make it yield its golden harvest. Trees, as well as vegetables, must have food and drink. It is by culture that they obtain them.

Hence, in the orchard, the growing of some crop is very desirable. Roots are perhaps the best of all. Potatoes, beets, beans, carrots, parsnips, onions—all require thorough culture, and do not shade the trees; while Indian corn, clover, grass, and all the cereal grains, should be rigidly excluded.

PRUNING.

In the matter of pruning we find there is a great diversity of opinion among experienced fruit-growers. Some advise a free use of the knife; others prune but little, or none at all. The first are doubtless right, as regards some sorts of trees; while, in regard to other varieties, the second class are correct. And the point must be settled between them by considering the objects sought to be attained by pruning,

To our mind there are four objects to be had in view in pruning a fruit-tree These are:

1. To relieve it of its dead and decaying branches. 2. To promote the growth of the tree

3 To encourage the production, and increase the size and quality of the fruit.

4. To change its shape

Now, the above being ALL the objects for which a tree ought to be pruned (except as heretofore stated, under the head o "Trimming,” to preserve an equilibrium between roots and

branches in transplanting), it is evident that, while a permanent vigor and productiveness are maintained without it, the less pruning the better Many planters insist that a tree should never be pruned except for the first of these objects, because as they allege if a tree be faithfully kept free from all dead and decaying wood, its growth and productiveness will both be promoted This is doubtless true to some extent with some sorts of fruit, and, unless some peculiar form is desired, it is better to do but little other pruning Yet withal it is some times necessary to prune more freely

Some varieties of the apple, for instance, will grow, if left alone, to too thick a head and require thinning out, others grow so straggling that it is frequently necessary to cut away drooping or crooked and deformed branches, to give the tree some symmetry of appear. After the first object is attained, the apple, the pear and the cherry, as standards, require little more, except in the cases last alluded to. Other trees require much more, which will be treated of in the proper place.

ance

PROTECTION.

All orchards and fruit gardens, whether of old or young trees, should be carefully protected against the depredations of cattle or other animals. Good fences to secure them are

The

S vine culture is so rapidly developing into a source of national wealth, the following instructions will be found of considerable value

PROPAGATION.

The grape is easily grown from cuttings-some sorts, however, much more readily than others. Those that are not so easily produced in this way are usually grown in the hot-house or hot-beds, bottom heat being required for the production of roots. This method we shall leave to those who are prepared for it.

For out-door growth the cuttings should be made late in the fall, or during the winter, or in the early spring, They should be cut from well-ripened wood of the new growth, and should be made about a foot in length, including two eyes, one near each end; if the wood is short-jointed, more eyes may be used, but in no case should a cutting be used with less than two. When cut, they should be tied in bunches of fifty, with the butts all one way, and should be protected from the weather until time for planting The safest plan to do this is to bury in the ground in a well-drained soil, below the reach of frost. Or they may be packed in very slightly moistened sawdust or sand, in boxes, in a dry cellar

In the spring, when the weather becomes sufficiently settled, they may be taken up and planted in good garden soil, previously well-prepared. In planting, make a trench with the plow, or spade, ten inches deep; place the cuttings in the trench at a slight angle, and from eight to twelve inches apart,

indispensable, as it is utter folly to expend time and money in planting and rearing a fine orchard, and then allow animals to disfigure, maim, and destroy the trees. Cattle, horses of sheep should never be allowed to run in orchards, nor should swine be admitted except at intervals of very short periods in order that they may have time only to eat up the fallen fruit, and not to bark the trees or root up the ground

In some sections birds are great depredators upon fruit but as a general thing they do more good in devouring the insects than harm in consuming the fruit. If they become too nu merous, they can be frightened away with guns

MULCHING.

This is simply the process of distributing some proper ma terial around the root of each tree to retain the moisture. When not thus protected, the ground will frequently bake and greatly retard the growth of the tree. Any coarse litter, straw, or forest leaves will be suitable for mulching. It should be used plentifully-spread on to a depth of at least six inches, When properly mulched, trees will retain moisture about their roots, and make a vigorous growth, through the dry and sultry summer months while others not protected in this way cease to grow altogether, and in many cases wither and die.

Bine.

close against the side and with the top-bud just even with the surface. Then fill in a few inches of earth at the bottom, and press tightly with the foot, continuing the process with less pressure to the top. Level and smooth, and the work is done

In a favorable season and with free-growing sorts, nineteentwentieths of them will grow, and with proper tillage will become good plants. The only cultivation necessary will be to keep the weeds down with the hoe, and the ground mellow and moist. If not intended for sale, or transplanting the next season, they may remain another year Otherwise they should be taken up in the fall, and stored in cellar during winter, packed in earth or sand.

In transplanting, the tops should be cut back to two buds, and the roots shortened in to fifteen or twenty inches.

PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.

Much has been said and written about preparation of the soil for grapes that is calculated to mislead the planter. Some have urged the entire trenching of the ground to a depth of three to five feet, with heavy manuring; others require the digging of deep holes, four by four feet, and filling in with manure and other enriching material; while a third and more reasonable class would only subsoil and drain, in addition to good depth of culture. In all soils suited to the growth of a good crop of corn or potatoes, grapes will flourish, and the plow, harrow, and sub-soiler are the tools necessary for its preparation.

If new ground is used, the stumps and roots should be care fully grubbed out, as they will be much in the way while plant