Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-09-02
aprtrnltural.
Cultivation Of the Soil for Fruit
Trees,

0eTe - dnOlneI department III tuc care
Of fruit trees, still less known and apprecia.
ted, aud still more important perhaps moi
so much so in itself as from its almost uni
versal neglect, and the consequent disas
trous results. This is thorough cultivation
Of the soil. For, Of many hundred Of trees
which the writer has seen transpanted by
various cultivators, more hare been los
from NEGLECTED AFTER-oULTURE, than
from all other causes put together.
Persons who purchase young trees trea
them variously, as follows
/. Some kill them at once by drying then
in the sun or wind, or freezing them in the
cold.
2 Others kill them by crowding the root.
into small holes in hard ground, where they
can never flourish, and rarely live.
8 Others set them out well, but that j.
all. This done, they consider the whole
work as finished. The trees are suffered to
become choked with grass, weeds, or crop,
Of grain-some live and linger, others die
under the hardship; or else are broken of
by cattle, or broken down by the team
which cultiyates the ground.
An intelligent friend purchased fifty very
fine peach trees, handsomely rooted, and oil
vigorous growth they were well set Out
IN field containing a fine crop Of heavy
clover and timothy. The following sum-
mer was very dry; luxuriant growth OF
meadow grass nearly obscured them from
sight. What was the consequence Most
of them necessarily persisted.
Another person bought sixty, of worse
quality in growth; he set them out we'll,
and kept them well cultivated with pola-
toes. He lost but one tree and continu.
ing TO cultivate them with low hoed crops,
they now promise 10 afford loads OF rich
peaches, before the dead stubs of his neigh.
Dor, Just mentioned, have disappeared from
his grounds.
Another neighbor year ago bought fif.
~ good trees. Passing his house late in
summer he said 10 me, 81 thought crop Of
wheat one of the best for young peach
trees l"-"Just the reverse il is one Of the
worst-all sown crops are injurious, all low
hoed ones beneficial" "Well," answered
he, 81 have found it Sony fifty trees all
lived, it is true, but have lost one year oil
their growth by my want of knowledge. -
His trees were examined they were ia an
excellent soil, and had been well set out
All the rows but one had stood in field of
wheat that one was hoed with a crop of
potatoes. The result was striking. Ofthe
trees that stood among the wheat, some had
made shouts the same year, an inch long,
some two inches long, some four inches,
and very few, five or six inches. While
on the other hand, on nearly every one that
grew with the potatoes, new shoots a foot
and half could be found and on some the
growth had been two feet, two and half,
and three feet. Others cases have furnish.
ed nearly as decisive contrasts.
An eminent cultivator of fine fruits.
whose trees have borne for many years, says
in late letter, "My fruit garden would be
worth twice as much as il is, il the trees
had been planted in thick rows two rods
apart, SO that could have cultivated them
with the plough. Unless fruit grows on
thrifty trees, We can form no proper iudg-
ment Of it, Some that we have cultivated
this season, after long neglect, seem like
ne'c kinds, and the flavor is in proportion
10 the size. Bearing trees often stand in
thick grass, and poor crops and poor fruit
are the usual results and the nurseryman
who sold them is not unfrequently pronounc-
ed rogue for thus distributing worthless
kinds, when good cultivation would wholly
change their character"
Trees are frequently mutilaied in cult.
waiting the ground with a team; to obyiate
this difficulty, arrange the horses when they
work near the line Of trees one before the
other, ad tandem let boy ride the for.
ward one, use long traces, and short whip.
ple.tree, and place the whole in the charge
OF careful man who knows that one tree
is worth more than fifty hills of corn or pc.
tatoes, and no danger need be feared.
When It becomes necessary for trees TO
stand in grass, as in some instances near
dwellings, circle of several feet round
each tree, must be kept mellow by the spade.
The work should be shallow rear the tree
10 prevent injury TO the roots, and gradually
deepen as it recedes. The operation when
repeated several times during the summer,
has been known TO increase the growth five
fold. But not less important result is the
exclusion Of the mice, Tor which this is by
far the most effectual method, il the surface
is raised nine or ten inches round the tree
Just before winter.-The grass no longer
affords these animals any hiding place and
the embankment round the stem prevents
the collection of deep snow. 1t proves
completely efiectual.
Among the crops which are best suited
to young trees, are potatoes, ruta bagas,
carrots, beans, and all low hoed crops
Corn, though a hoed crop, is of TOO tall
growth, shading young trees too much by
its formidable stalks. All sown crops are
10 be avoided, and grass is still worso.-
Meadows are ruinous. An acquaintance
who purchased hundred peach trees, and
placed them in meadow land, lost most of
them by the oyergrowing of the grass and
the following winter the mice, who avoid
clean culture, destroyed the remainder
Every one was lost A clean, mellow cul-
liyated piece of ground, kept so few years,
might have saved the whole of them, and
brought Ihsm soon into bearing
Thomas Fruit Calfure.