or the large orchard were divided as
follows: 250 Duchess, 250 Patten Greening, 300 Northwestern Greening,
1,000 Wealthy. Were I to set another commercial orchard of the same size
it would contain 500 Duchess and the balance Wealthy. While the Patten
Greening is an ideal tree and an early and prolific bearer, there is
with us a much larger per cent of imperfect and diseased fruit than of
any other variety. Tree for tree, I believe the Duchess will produce
_more_ saleable _fruit_.

Where to buy our trees was decided for us in one of our first numbers of
the Horticulturist, viz., at the nearest reliable nursery. That this was
good advice is evidenced by the fact that out of the 1,900 trees we have
found but two that were not as ordered.

Our next problem was, at what distance to plant the trees. The more
information we sought the less sure were we of the best plan. We were
advised to plant all distances from 12 feet by 16 feet to 24 feet by 32
feet. We finally concluded to take about an average of them all and
decided on 20 feet by 20 feet, and so far have had no reason to regret
it. We have put up the alsike and timothy every year for hay with the
usual machinery, and there has not been over a half dozen trees
seriously damaged. Our trees were nearly all three years old, 5 to 6
feet, and we find they do much better in sod than a smaller tree.

Having the orchard set out the next thing was to protect the trees from
mice and rabbits. This we did by making protectors out of wire cloth,
using different widths, from 18 to 24 inches, cutting it in strips 10
inches wide and holding it about the trees by three pieces of stove pipe
wire at the top, middle and bottom. Not counting the time of making and
putting them on these cost us from 1-1/2 cents to 2-1/2 cents each, and
lasted from three to four years. We used a few made of galvanized wire
cloth, which lasted much longer.

Three years ago we commenced replacing these protectors with a wash of
white lead and raw linseed oil mixed to the consistency of separator
cream. The first year we painted only fifty trees, the next year 100,
the next 300, and this last year we painted every tree on the place. We
can see no bad effects, and it certainly protects against mice and
rabbits and, what is equally as important, against borers also, and the
cost per tree, including labor, is much less.

We have also used the lead and oil with splendid results in treating
trees affected with ca