The Orchard.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 27

The Orchard.

APPLE CULTURE. (BY AN EXPERT.) I have raauy times heard it remarked that a plantation of apple trees are so long before they come into bearing sufficient to give a profi able return. The following is a plan I adopted in the Old Country some years ago, which gave most satisfactory results Having the ground prepared, i.e., double dug, and drained, the leading varieties were selected and planted in large quantities. As all the appleß were on the paradise, or dwarfing stock, intended to be grown as bush trees, they were planted rather closer than is usual with trees on the ordinary apple stock, which -grow much more luxuriantly than the paradise stock, and consequently require far more room between each treo. In this case the distance was sixteen feet, row from row, and eight feet tree from tree in the rows; a double number being planted, in the rows with the view to make the very best use of the land which was costly, and limited in extent. Two year old trees were planted, so that they were not large, and there was plenty of space between the trees in each row for two hills of strawberries, of these I plauted largely of such sorts as Viscomtesse, Ilericart de Thury, Sir Joseph Paxton, President, and Elton pine, each hill being formed by planting three plants eighteen inches apart forming a triangle. In the sixteen feet space between the rows were planted gooseberries, and currants, one row being placed through the centre, eight feet from the apples, and five feet tree from tree. If three year old gooseberries and currants are planted, they soon produce good crops. The strawberries produce heavy crops the second season, and will continue to do so, if kept clean and free from weeds, for at least three seasons, when the apple trees will have grown sufficiently large to require all the space. The gooseberries and currants should produce fair crops the second season, and good paying ones the third and following seasons till the time arrives when the permanent crop of apples require all the space. The intermediate apple trees may be safely removed to another piece of grouud. The transplanting, if properly done, will tend to increase their productivness, and check any excessive luxuriance of growth, the best time to transplant such trees is late in the autumn, when only a portion of the leaves have fallen, great care being taken that they are lifted with all their roots, and that they are replanted before the roots have a chance of becoming dry. Before replanting, the roots should be pruned with a sharp knife, all bruised points being cut off, and any roots having a tendency to strike downwards should be considerably shortened. This is very important, as much of the future success of the tree depends upon this being carried out properly, always avoiding deep planting, which is in all cases fatal to their productiveness, and encourages early attacks of canker and other blights.

1 Where space is limited this system of cropping will be found to answer well, -and as under auy circumstances tho land between fruit trees must be cultivated, if only to keep it free from weeds, it will be seen that the labour ' of hoeing and cultivating will much more than be paid for by the produce of the intermediate crops. Some of your readers may say, look at the cost of cropping the land in such a way as here suggested. But I would reply the first outlay need be the only one, as future plantations may be formed by propagating gooseberries and currants, each year by planting all the best cuttings taken off in pruning, and the strawberries will produce runners in good quantities, so that new bods or plantations may bo formed.