Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-05-26


farm. One, planted about twenty years
ago, contains some FIVE hundred trees, most
ly Of the Baldwin apple, variety that four
ishes best on his soil and location; and the
other, ten or twelve years old, contains be-
tween three and four hundred trees Of choice
winter sweet apples. The ground upon
which the Baldwin orchard is planted, has
a south and southeast exposure, and was,
originally, in a perfectly wild and unsub.
dued state, covered with stones and shrub
oaks, pines and other bushes. Hundreds
Of tons Of these stones were put into the
bitches for draining the peat meadow, TO-.
wards which the orchard descends. After
the distractions for cultivation were remov-
ed from the ground, a light, free rich loan
was found, resting upon gravely, and in
some places, 'ledgy bottom.
The sweet apple orchard has, | should
say, nm eastern exposure, and, for skilful
pruning. healthiness and vigor of the trees.
presents an appearance far superior 10 any
thing Of the kind had before seen.
In reply TO the inquiries Of the Hon. John
Lowell, several years since, Mr. Phinney
says :-"Most Of my trees we're taken from
the nursery in November, the roots placed
in trenches, and covered with dirt until the
following spring. This was done ia order
TO avoid the necessity Of setting them out
before the ground had become dry and
warm. n left in the nursery ill spring,
they are seldom or never taken up ill the
sap has begun to flow. When removed al.
ter this takes place, the check occasioned
by the removal, If not fatal TO the tree, Of
ten Injuries its future growth. The best
time to take up trees is unquestiouably
when the sap is least active. II taken up
late in autumn, and the roots secured from
sun and air, they may be kept with perfect
safety until the middle OF May, and planted
out at this time with proper care. aud as
near the surface as possible. vegetation will
commence almost instantaneously; they
will not require to be supported by stakes.
and will grow nearly as much the first as in
any future year"
While the trees we're young and the
branches small, and at the season when the
sap is most freely flowing. and the growth
most rapid. the operation Of pruning has,
mostly. been performed by Mr. Phinney per-
sonally, and the orchards now show the
hand of skill and judgment in their train
ing. Those branches which tended 10 shoot
out horizontally. or nearly at right angles
from the trunk, were left TO grow while
those which inclined 10 grow more erect,
or at an angle Of IS degrees. were taken
of-the whole operation being so managed
as that no limb should shade any other limb,
and at the same time an eye was kept 10
the proper and equal balance Of the top
BY this mode OF pruning the tops are
spread out horizontally from the trunk,
thus admitting the sun to exert his genial
influence in the perlecting and ripening OF
all the fruit with the further advantages
that il is gathered with greater facility, and
the limbs are much less liable 10 split of
from the trunk, when loaded with fruit than
those rising to an angle more acute. In
the former case the limb may bend and
sway considerably, without s,raining very
hard on the trunk, while in the latter, the
strain commences almost as soon as the
limb is inclined 10 bend with its load.
Probably the principal cause Of the re-
markable vigor and healthiness Of the trees,
is TO be found in the fact that the land is
kept in constant cultivation, no grass or
weeds being permitted to grow in the soil.
II is not thought desirable to manure the
orchards heavily, as by this means they may
be forced too much; but the land receives
light dressing Of compost each year. and
here his crops Of carrots, parsneps and 9th.
er roots-of which he raises large quanti-
ties--his squashes, pumpkins, melons, &c,
are mostly grown. Corn is also planted to
some extent.
The trees stand in straight rows, both
ways, about two rods apart. The manure
is plowed in, great care being used no, to
wound the tree above ground, and noticed
that no signs Of injury 10 the bark were any
where 10 be seen. No particular attention
is paid to the roots; il one happens to come
TO the surface il is cut of, which only caus.
es new fibres to shoot out with greater wig.
or. 1t is considered that root pruning, to
some extent, is beneficial rather than 9th.
erwise.
A few years since the mice girdled qni,e
a number Of the trees badly, in the Bald.
win orchard, and in order to save them
large scions we're prepared and inserted in
the bark below the wound and connected
with the bark above, so that the sap might
flow up from the roots Tito the top. The
trees have done remarkably well and are
good bearers the scions having grown SC
as TO form solid wood all round. In few
instances the roots were SO badly manged
that four small trees were set out around the
trunk, and the tops Of them inserted into
the bark above the wound. They have
grown TO diameter of four 10 six inches
and support the original tree perfectly.
A young orchard, with northern expo