Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-10-24

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which our climate admits of, it may b,
made to contribute largely TO health
comfort and enjoyment. AS it is not ;
principal article for the sustenance o
life, neither is it one which requires any
great or constant labor to secure. Com
pared with bread stuhs and culinary
vegetables, and considering the labor
bestowed on these, it is almost free elf
of Providence. Fruit trees may be
grown in fields in which grain and vege.
table crops are cultivated, not only with
out interfering, while young, with the
processes which these latter require, but
SO as to derive benefit from them with
out diminishing the ground crops. And
when the trees have attained to their full
size, the soil occupied by their roots, and
the space shaded by their tops, If lost
for tillage, will pay a greater profit from
the trees, ifwell pruned and kept clean,
than it would, employed in any other cul-
ture. The labor in keeping the trees in
order, is very trihing, if bestowed season.
ably. Most of what is required should
be done in the spring, before the frost
leaves the ground, and other business is
pressing.
1t is well known that fruit trees may
be cultivated with advantage in ground
too rocky for tillage, without losing the
use Of it as pasture, provided stakes are
set TO keep off the cattle. The soil
must, however, be kept open about the
young trees to obtain free growth. 1t
is unnecessary to say that manure may
be applied with advantage, and that the
value Of it will not be lost when SO APP
piled. The declvities on the south
sides Of hills, which are too steep, or too
rough, for the plough, afford fine situa-
tons for fruit trees. SO tat on many
farms, extensive orchards OF various
kinds of fruit may be had, without inter-
fering with, or diminishing the amount
OF other crops.
The varieties of the several species OF
fruit which may be brought to perfection
in this Commonwealth, are numerous,
and are cultivated with success near the
coast, but are little known in the interior.
They are, however, common enough to
furnish scions for every county in the
state. Our farmers have only TO decide
that they will turn their attention to the
raising Of fruit, and they will have no
difficulty and little or no expense in OBJ
tanning seions CT tx best. But il oush::
at the same time to be recollected, that
as the improved and most delicious fruits
have come of careful cultivation, and are
derived from originals of very ordinary
character, so if the trees are treated with
neglect, these fruits will degenerate and
in short time be no longer cognizable
as the same.
1t may not be universally known, that
by taking off a portion of the fruit from
a healthy tree at an early stage, what re-
mains will become larger and be finer
than if the whole were suffered 10 re-
main--because more sap is at liberty to
be expended upon them. Keep the
earth loose about the roots, and manuring
produces the same effect-enlivening the
roots and encouraging them to put forth
more fbres, and in consequence,
greater quantity of nutrition is absorbed,
of which the fruit will get its proportion.
Whatever promotes a free circulation
OF the sap, as cleansing the bark from
scales and scrapihg it to make it tender
and yielding and whatever helps to per-
feet the maturation of the sap in the
leaves of the tree, by giving them full
exposure to the sun and air, as by cutting
out the central branches when the head
is too bushy, and giving it an expanded
form, promotes the growth, general
health and productiveness of the tree.
1t would require little time to satisfy
any rational mind, that the caterpillar,
the canker worm and the slug, by de-
vouring the leaves, destroy part of the
machinery necessary to the work of We
getation and qualification. The tree
must therefore decline if they are per-
mitted to invade it, and to keep posses
sion year after year.
A large stock of fruit trees may be
raised with very little trouble by fencing
in few rods of good ground as nurse
ry, and sowing pomace Cd part, and re-
serving part for the seeds or stones of
other fruit. There should be space
enough within the enclosure to admit of
transplanting the shoots the second year.
The following year they WILDE in state
for budding or for grating. In the
mean time, the farmer may learn by a
little inquiry where the buds and scions
may be obtained when wanted.
This nursery will not only supply his
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