The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-05-10
Fruit Trees and their Culture.


joy the earth's fruits without thu
sweat of the brow. But there is la
Dor of the head as we'll as the hands
which tree culture emphatically
wants. The cultivator should know
what is the specific food to form wood,
fibre. foliage, or fruit. Second, what
disease the tree is subject to, and what
insects are prejudicial to its healthy
development. Without this knowl-
edge, neither good trees nor good soil
will produce good fruit for successive
years. The favorite soil for the ap.
pie, is u calcareous loan, and where
this does not abound, the cultivator
may supply an artificial loan of lime
and muck. A healthy, we'll fed tree
will resist the attacks of insects, like q
healthy well fed animal: therefore,
when applying preventives and RENE
dies for insect depreciation, apply at
the same time such nourishing food to
the roots as will enable the tree to
bear some loss Gifts juices.
We have a tree of the red Astracan
variety, growing near the wash house,
which has been well supplied with
soap suds from the wash tub, and al
though it stands in light sandy soil,
has resisted the attacks of the alphis
and borer, and is luxuriant beauti-
full tree, bearing abundant crops of
fruit. The aphis, or bark louise, may
be destroyed by washing the parts in
tested with strong ley or soft SOAP
Caterpillars will now be found on the
limbs and foliage of the apple trees,
and should be destroyed before they
defoliate the tree, and lay the iounda-
ton for millions of worms next season.
Where the web cannot be reached
conveniently, tie piece Of old rag on
the end of a pole, saturated with spir-
its ofturpentine, and fired under their
nests it will soon cause the death wrig-
gle. The pear tree will flourish in a
lighter soil than the apple, and is bet
ter adapted to Southern culture. This
tree is not as subject to disease in the
Southern States as farther Morrill,
Standard pear and apple trees should
be trained with a low head, SO that
the trunk may be protected from the
sun; it is better to prune and pinch off
now, when the branches are soft, than
to wait until the wood has matured.
A slow growing, stunted pear tree,
may be started into vigorous growth
and bearing, by forking the ground
around the roots, and watering with
n liquid manure; leached ashes work
ed in the ground around the tree, will
the fruit, as potash is its spe-
cGc food.
No weeds or grass should be permit
ted to grow Immediately around IL
fruit tree, any more than they should
around stalk Of cotton or corn. We
look upon blowing among fruit trees
as ruinous practice, as it is impossi-
bic to plow without breaking the sur
zee roots, which are the main sources
u lourishment to the fruit; even the
hoe should be used with caution
Should limb ola tree show signs of
4o icai blight, cut it off Immediately
anI ourn it, to prevent the spread of
sno disease; should the whole tree ap-
pear sickly, doctor the roots, as we'll
as the trunk. With proper culture,
the pear tree is destined to be one of
the most abundant fruit crops of the
South.
The plum and peach tree flourish in
n sandy light soil, but the fruit is not
rs perfect as when grown in stiff soil,
rom the fact that the insect prejudi-
cial to the fruit cannot so well burrow
in stiff soil. Plums especially,
should be planted in a stiff clay. The
trees should be planted before hogs
and geese can run under them, so that
all the punctured fruit may be destroy
ed. and with it the worm that makes
the curculio. The plum tree is sub.
Jet to but few diseases in this climate,
The peach tree will bear lighter sol,
illan the plum. The great enemy of
the peach tree is the worm that Cir
dies it, at the base. The worm is pro-
Iluced by moth, which lays its eggs
on the soft bark, just at the ground,
about the first of June, and
continuing throughout the summer
This may be prevented by tying broom
sedge around the bottom of the tree.
Remove the earth around the base,
and place layers of broom sedge,
standing upright so thick that no part
Oftree is exposed, and carefully tie it
around. The moth will not lay its
eggs above the top ofthe broom sedge,
and finding no soft bark below, will
seek some other place to deposit its
eggs. Where the tree is already in
tested with these worms, which may
be known by the gum exuding from
the base, remove the earth and gum,