Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-01-08

. tie "ont of season." to- talk or write upon
the Importance Of fruit growing and the
planting and rearing Of shade aud fruit.
trees. We are told by authority not 10 be
questioned that there is "tne for al
things time'to plant aud time TO sow,
time TO commit the seed To the warm DO
som of the earth, and time to gather il
its fruits. We do no, suppose that iht
month of January, with old boreas blowing
blast that piles the snow in wiu-rows ter
feet or less in height, is the appropriate
season To set out trees. But we do suppose
that no better time can be fixed upon b,
the farmer TO eat apples, and eujoy ia,
fiuits Of his labor, than the winter season
when, IL he cannot cultivate the earth, he
can cultivate his mind, and prepare for fu
ture aud greater usefulness. No better
time than our long winter evenings can be
selected for reading what is valuable, aud
laying up IN store fund for future use
Now let us hear what farmer French has to
say -" about Apples" He tells his story in
PLAN iarmer-lkc manner, and We like il
the better for that:
A novelist, in Que Of his stories. portrays
an old gentleman who sci up fora WI.
upon one Joke ouly, which he was care
iul 10 show of us entirely new, whenever
he me, stranger, with The remain aside
"Well doa't lhink ever said that IL,
him before lIm."- Perhaps they who
have heard and read what have SAID
aud written about apples aud apple-lrees
may now find ndhlog particularly new
IN what may now be suggested, aud ma,
be Inclined 10 iken nae To that sune old
gentleman, bu, cai, al least say, that
however much of hobby have made
of the subject, | have never published
anything upon it in The New England
Farmer.
And as my name is in print at the
head of tho columns, il ma, as well be
understood, first as last, that consider
II my SPECIAL mission auorg my agrlcul.
iuIal trends, 10 induce them to plant
trees shade trees of all kinds FOR orna-
ment, aud lruii-irees Tor profit.
Although there are lew men IN most
New Eng land towns, wtu knavs perhaps,
all that eau be learned, Toy reading, ON
these subjects, yet The greater i,ari of
those who plant iruit-trees, us was re-
marked 10 recent number oi the Far
mer, plant and manage them so badly,
that not ope Of three ever produces u
crop of fruit.
This Is partly because the best mpie
OF culture Is not understood, but oliener,
perhaps, The result OF a SORT OF reluctance,
appan nlly natural to most men, To do
ing us we'll as they know how to do.
Any man OF common sense Knows that
n hill of corn planted IN The turf of a
grass field, would never grow, aud II
would seem manifest that Ienderly
reared Tree from nursery, deprived OF
hall lis roots IA IrausplauIIng, couI'l bear
university no better, yet nearly one-hill
Of all The upple-irees IN new Eiiy land
have been heretofore planted IN grass
land, and the ten Thousand liIlic mouths
OF the grass roofs have drank up the
moisture and fertility Of The s"il, aud lelI
the trees 10 shr,vel and die OF thirst aud
starvation.
Ii is not absolutely necessary TO keep
the whole surface Of young orchard
under cultivation.
For the first five years after an apple
tree from nursery Is sci, The o,is will
find sufficient space, IL strip eight f"ei
wide, fur on each SIDE of the tree. be
KEEP, thoroughly worked and MANFRED,
leaving The remainder Ia grass.
Perhaps il may be better To cultivate the
whole, but II Is almost impraclicabie, up
on ordinary farms To keep any considera-
bile caicnt Of orchards constantly under
the p'ow. ! have this autumn prepared
about three acres OF land for ploniing
with apple trees next sprIng, ia a mode
which seems new TO those who have OBJ
served II, and which il may be useful to
owners oi new land 10 know. A heavy
growth. chiefly OF white pine, was taken
from the land three years ago. Ii was
never burnt over, and white birch aud
Other bushes had sprung up, so that il
had month ago as lItIle lhe appearance
OF an orchard, us any tract in the State.
Having cut the bushes, siaked the land
out Tor The lows of trees, twenty eight
feet apart. Three men with hand tools
without cattle, in one week dug out
nearly all the slumps and visible roofs
within four and half feet OF the rows
staked out. Then with three yoke OF
oxen, in three days the strips nlne fee,
wide were plowed by back furrowlng
more Than foo deep. Two men were
required besides the driver and pIowman
10 do this work, one with a sharp axe to
cut oil the roofs whch were found by
the plows, and another with a hog hoe
to mend The broken burrows.
The land being free from STONE, is
thus thoroughly worked in Strips of niue
ieel wide "ne way, through the tract,
leaving about two thirds OF il in possess-
ION Of The pine s'umps, 10 be deal, with
~ some future day.
! am now having holes dug for the
trees, SIX ieet across, and eighteen inch