The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-06-21


apart, and we sowed only one row of carrots in
the space-the ground, too, was kept clean all
summer, and yet we lost the seasons growth of
the trees, and got poor crop of carrots. Other;
trees of the same age, in the same soil, rithout
carrots, were twice as large in the autumn.-
That ended our carrot culture among trees.-.
When an orchard is cropped, the greatest care
should be taken to give the tree ample room.
If the nutrIaent be drained from around the
roots by the rapid growth of annual crops, or if
the tops be excluded from the free circulation of
the air and exposed to the sun, the result will
be feeble, sicky growth.
a multitude Of planters do not seem to appre-
ciate the value of a tree. We know men who
raise fine field crops, who would, indeed, be
ashamed of poor one, and who would no more
be seen riding behind lean, long haired filthy
horse, than they would be caught picking pock-
cts and yet their trees are as disgracefu to them
as the leanest horse would be. A tree-is liv-
ing body, requiring food and care as much as an
animal, and even more, for it has not the advan-
tage of locomotion. 1t is confined to narrow
spot and fits food ishot found there, it cannot
seek it elsewhere and it must perish. We have
at hand very sensible communication touching
this subject, which we append to othese remarks,
and we beg the special attention of tree plant
ers to its contents:
Permit me to say few words upon a subject
in relation to which farmers, in general, seem to
be either strangely careless, or wilfully ignorant
and blind. I allude to the very common prac-
tice of seeding dorm" orchards to clover.
Nv attention was first called to this subject
by an experienced farmer and orchardist, some
twenty years since, whils examining the defects
of my own orchard, on farm then recently pur-
chased in Genesee county. The orchard, though
young and grated, was at the time exhibiting
strong symptoms Of decay. The trees had been
g. set OUT some eight or ten years previously, on
strong loamy soil-had been manured some
two or three times from the barn-yard, and by
the process of grating after setting, had been
pretty well trimmed; yet the trunks and limbs
of the trees had nearly all become very rough
and scabby, and nearly encased in covering of
stree liee;;" the leaves were small and yellow,
and constantly falling during all the summer,
and there were scarcely apples enough even at
that time grown, to furnish sample to each
tree; and all that were grown, were much under
size, knotty and scabby, and quite deficient in
flavor.
On inquiring the cause, Twas told BY my
friend, that beyond doubt, all these defects
had been the result of seeding" the orchard
Down to clover, which had been done bv my pre-
decessor some few years previous; the roots of
the clover plants striking deep into the earth,
having de prived the trees of that nutriment
which they required to promote healthy and
vigorous growth.
The remedy" prescribed was, to plow the
ground thoroughly, though not deep, manure and
till the soil constantly, and under the tops and
spreading branches to throw a liberal dressing
every year or two of leachcd ashes, lime and
chips or dooryard lnanure-then scraping and
securing the trunks and branches as far as prac-
tcable, and washing with strong ley of wood
ashes, and then adding good coat of whitewash
composed Of lime and wood ashes, laid on either
with brush or broom, or by any other convenient
method.
This process then, and subsequently practlsed
in many other cases nrd r my own personal d.
rection and observation, produced result entire
ly satisfactory and highly gratifoing restoring
the trees to healthy, vigorous growth, full, and
generally to uniform bearing of perfect fruit;
and my most sangune desires in relation to this
subject will have been fully gratifed if those or
PARTON only possessing fruit orchards, will but
put this thery TO practical test by but one well
conducted experiment.
Did time and space permit, while upon this
subject, would gladly call the attention of eve
ry man possessing energy and enterprise TO set
out a single fruit tree, to the Importance of a
liberal use Of lime as manure or stimulant
when applied directly to the roots of most kinds
of the apple, (near, though not in immediate
contact with the body--say two feet dstant)
and we'll worked into the soil, either by the hoe
or light plowing, thereby producing not only lar
ger and much more perfect fruit but IN many
instances, Contrary to the apparently natural ha
bits of the variety) inducing uniform annual
bearing.
A renewal of the dressing of lime once in four
to six years, and from four to eight quarts of lime
to each tree, will probably be found sufficient in
most cases, especially on light and warm soils.
..... JT00S1ED