Excerpt from Bristol's Illustrated Almanac for 1887: Prepared Expressly for Canada and Guaranteed Correct

The advise so commonly given by writ ers to select a rich, warm, dry soil, often leads to bad results. Good corn land is all right, but extra good corn soil seldom fails to ruin an orchard so'oner or later. The best slope is northeast; worst, southwest; north is better than south elevated lands better than low. No protection on either side except *south make your orchard self protecting; first by setting each tree in the second row south about two feet to the west of the one nearly opposite in north row, so as to have the south tree's shadow strike the north tree at half past one. The shadow of the trees being much longer in winter than in summer, they will then, thus set, shade and protect each other at the exact time and place they most need protection from the steady, direct rays of the sun, wh1ch so seriously injure our trees during the cold, sunny days in February and March. Set them from two to ten inches deeper than grown in nursery. Leave the hole on the bottom a little sloping to the. One o'clock sun. This will help much in keeping a tree growing the same way.

Set them firmly; and as soon as the leaves are about to Open, cut all the lead ing branches on the northeast side, clipping in the ends of the twigs on the sun side with a view to close up all openings from the steady unbroken rays of the sun. A tree that leans northwest will be killed on the southeast side. If it leans northeast, it will be killed on the southwest. Itit leans southeast it will die on the northwest side as far as the sun strikes at 3 o'clock. Follow the above plan for setting and keep them so trimmed. One tree thus grown will be worth ten fine high symmetrical topped trees we read Of so much. It is a fact well known to old observers, that 99 trees of every 100 set as the commonly are with fine even symmetrica tops, will at the end of five years be found working more or less to the northeast. And in making north east they are making toward ruin. Grow such crops in orchards as will best prevent the ground from thawing out in winter or early spring.

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