Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1843-03-25
Agricultural Department.

For the Gazette.
CULTIVATION OF FRUIT TREES
The first object in raising fruit trees is 4
procure such varieties, rs will afford sup
ply OF fruit all the year round. Since TIL
cannot be done without sending to some wei
established nursery and mourning con
siderable expense, we must be content
with what we can get in our immediate
neighborhood, and try TO raise ourselves
what we cannot buy. Therefore look
around among your neighbors near and
far, and enquire who has superior fruit
Take none butt very best even ut the
risk Of going some distance; good ap
pletree will not take more room than a
bad one and will grow just as WE'LL
Cut the shoots Of last summers growth
Of side branches some or z inches long
and bury as directed in my last, il not
ready Immediately. The next thing is
TO procure stocks to put your scions in.
The best arc those raised from seed
{seedlings) year or two cd and in Thrift
ty condition. But we cannot always
command those for the want OF seeds TO
raise them from; we must therefore help
ourselves some other way. There is an
abundance Of crabappe trees growing
in our bottoms and other places, which
will answer for apples very we'll; for
pears would recommend common white
or hawthorn, of which there is a luke
prolusion. II we plant out those of a
smaller size, say OF the thickness Of
stocks as we choose fit for grating in a
year and Tor bndlilns or noculalng in six
months. This would be delay Of at
lces, half year, and in this branch of
agriculture delay is OF more sonse
quence than most people are aware Of;
the sooner we plant tree, the sooner
we can enjoy its fruits. Therefore |
would recommend the following plan
which has been tried aud proved cm;nen.
ly successful il the operation is nicely
performed. 1t is this:
As soon as the ground is thoroughly
thawed, dig round The crab-appe trees and
pick out as many roots as you have scions;
(if they were taaen up IN the fall after
vegetation has ceased and laid by in sand
or ground till wanted for use, it would
be better.) Be careful to preserve the
small roots as perfect as you can, fer on
this depends the growth of the scion.--
Choose those that have two or three
branches from six to ten inches long,
uniting in one stem Of the thickness OF Il
goosequill, to correspond exactly with |
the size Of our scion; cut the root oil
with slope OF one Or one and half
inches and cut your scion Of the like
shape. with a sharp knife, SO as TO presen,
smooth surface; or split the root down
for the sume length taperng off the up
per or open sides, and cut the scion in the
shape Of wedge Of the same length 10
fit in the slit Of the root; tie them both
firmly together with some soft substance
that will not cut the bark and still hold
them in their position aud they are ready
for planting out
Prepare piece Of ground finely by
ploughing or spading. open the burrows
about three feet distant and six inches
deep by twelve in width; procure some
fine garden mould to put in the bottom Of
the trench, spread the roots on it in the
shape Of fan at equal distances from
each other, without bending or disturbing
them too much; lay some Of the fine
mould around them and p ross il equally
against the roots and the stem, giving
the latter an upright position; then fill
up with the common soil 10 cover the |
place Of the union about two or three
inches, leaving the balance Of tho scion
above ground with about three good eyes
on il, having previously rubbed off all !
those below The ground. No more Is to
b done than 70 keep the ground loose
and clear Of weeds. and 10 give an -oc-
casional watering in dry weather.
For pears the process is the Same subj
stituting for the crab-applss The roots Of
the white thorn.
In the following spring they will be fit
TO take their place in the orchard.
In planting out trees either from the
nursery or the woods. the following hints
will be Of service andinsure their growth
is properly attended to:
The ground must be in the best pos
sibls tilth, BY repeated ploughiDg and har.