The Nut Culturist: A Treatise on Propogation, Planting, and Cultivation of Nut Bearing Trees and Shrubs Adapted to the Climate of the United StatesFuller, Andrew S. (Andrew Samuel)
Science
The Nut Culturist: A Treatise on Propogation, Planting, and Cultivation of Nut Bearing Trees and Shrubs Adapted to the Climate of the United States
Fuller, Andrew S. (Andrew Samuel)
Nuts
=Planting the Nuts.=--When the time arrives for planting, take the
nuts from their winter quarters, and after sifting out the sand, sow
or drop them in drills, covering about two inches deep with fine
soil. With the small native varieties my practice has been to sow in
wide drills; that is, those made with the blade of a common garden
hoe, and of the same width, the nuts being scattered along the
bottom two to three inches apart.
The soil is then drawn in over them and pressed down with the back
of the hoe, or by passing a light garden roller over the surface. If
the size of the seedbed is not limited, or only a small quantity of
nuts are to be sown, then the single row would be preferable,
because less hand weeding will be needed to subdue the weeds, and
for all the larger varieties I should certainly recommend it,
because they are of a more stocky growth. The distance allowed
between the drills will depend somewhat upon the implements to be
employed in cultivation, as well as how long the seedlings are to
remain in the seedbed before transplanting, but from two to three
feet will be found convenient for the ordinary modes of cultivation.
If the seedlings make a fair average growth the first season they
will be from one to three feet high in the autumn, and as soon as
the leaves have fallen they may be taken up, or allowed to remain
until the following spring and then lifted. But if, from any cause,
they have made a feeble growth, it is better to let them remain in
the seedbed another year. Where large quantities of seedlings are
raised they are usually taken up with a tree-digger drawn by a span
of horses or mules, but with only a few hundred or a thousand to
dig, a common spade will answer every purpose; and if, when removed
from the seedbed, they are found to have produced long perpendicular
taproots, these should be shortened to about one-half their original
length. For instance, if these taproots are taken up entire and are
eighteen to twenty inches long, cut away the lower half, whether it
consists of one or more long perpendicular roots, as this pruning
will force the plants to produce a greater number of lateral roots,
and it is upon these we depend mainly for keeping our trees alive
and vigorous if transplanted when larger and older. All side
branches should be pruned off close to the main stem, for we aim to
favor the latter in its growth upward until it reaches the required
hight for either grafting or forming the future head of the tree.
In taking up seedlings, it is not safe to leave them for any
considerable time exposed to the sun and drying winds, and they
should be carried either to a shed or other building while being
pruned, and also covered with blankets in the field, except during
moist, cloudy days. A very little drying of the small fibers on such
plants is always more or less injurious.
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