Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-06-09

engage them in advance. The trees
are received in due time, and the
purchaser, much to his surprise, finds
long switches Of some three years
growth grated on pieces Of mutilated
roots, instead Of such trees as he ex-
pected. But, he says, perhaps they
may grows small matter to quar-
rel ABBOTT, so he plants them for an
orchard, and, in three years, a good
portion Of them are not TO be found
in this world.
10 Such as have been reared in New
England in the good old way, prac-
ticed and taught by our fathers, are
more hardy, and commence a new
struggle. Removed from the portion
of their fellows in the nursery, they
attempt TO protect their naked trunks
from our burning suns by twigs and
leaves, but are still pursued by the
old enemy, the jack-knife, if the own
er finds time to use il. After grow
ing in state Of half starvation in a
soil deprived Of lis original ingredi-
ents necessary for their health and
productIveness until thoroughly dis
eased, they then attempt new exist
ence by throwing out new limbs or
sprouts but are now met by the axe
and hand saw--the sprouts are brok
en- off, and the large limb. removed
in quantities, in March or April, when
the owner, having completed his win
ter's work, has time to do il. As
warm weather approaches, poison
GUS sap runs from the wounds, black
ening and killing the bark, when a
few years ends their miserable ex-
istence.
This may look like fancy sketch,
bu, | ask any intelligent, cultivator,
looking al cause and effect if il is no,
the cause why SO many orchards in
New England are worthless at fifty
years Of age, instead Of being healthy
and fruitful at two hundred years old
as they would be with proper treat
ment.
A tree left 10 itself, needs little or
no pruning. Look at our fields, where
we find owners of taste, we find a
liberal supply of shade trees where
dame nature planted the seeds, aud
has taken all the care of them. Does
she not dispose Of all the twigs and
leaves on the bodies as soon as she
has no use for them? And, as a
whole, does she not form as good and
even better, more healthy and grace
ful top, than we find generally in or
chards that have been literally aid
cd with the jack-knife and hand
sawi Certainly for such a teacher
we ought to be able to take some
practical lessons. do not say thai;
pruning is never necessary, but TO
say that, in the culture of trees, ma
lure should be studied and aided, new
er thwarted.
When one procures trees for orch
ard planting, his inquiry should be,
not how tall, but what is their dame
ter at the base l-are they on entire
roots Pat what distance have they
grown from each other in the nurse
?-what has been their exposure
in winds l-have they been once or
twice transplanted, so as to be well
filled with fbrous roots !--and have
they been grown in ordinary soil,
or have they forced growth 10y
stimulating manures? | will not in
suit the common sense of any man by
saving what answer should be given
TO these questions. No tree requir-
ing stake should be planted in an
orchard. If not rooted and grown
enough TO stand alone against all
winds without throw it aside as use
less.
Trees properly planted require at
teniion during the first few years, TO
form well-balanced top, taking out
some and shortening other limbs.-
After this the pruning required is
very trifiing-In most trees none dur
ing the ordinary life of man. But in
this wicked world we must take thinss
as they are, and not as they should be,
or would have been with proper early
attention and culture, and as far as
practicable, remedy evils already ex-
isting.
The most common error in prun
ming is thinning out the whole inter-
or or central portion Of tree TO lei in
the sum- thus destroying one half OF
the bearing branches, leaving long
naked limbs producing fruit only at
the ends beyond the reach OF any
thing larger than raccoon, without
the aid Of long ladders, lcsscning the
quantity Of fruit and injuring the
quality. Apples protected by leaves
are much better, larger and iairer,
(being grown as nature designed, }
than when grown on the ends of
long branches, exposed to the sun
in July and August. In The cool,
moist and cloudy atmosphere-some
of our American apples requiring the
trees to be trained TO wall TO rpen
their fruit but the course taught
and practiced by the best English cul-
liyators is for their climate, not for
ours. A tree properly trained for
them, in few years may be ruined
by the hot suns and cold winters of
lev England.
Trees require differing training,
depending on varieties. A course
to perfect The Northern Spy, or New