Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-06-04
MESsRs. Golfer 6 SCOOTER, Editors.
From The American Agrh ul,urist.
PRUNING FRUIT TREES.

TGUAlAu rEUll luELp'
In the present state Of horticultural knowl
edge it is about as important TO tell the ow
ner of an orchard, seasonably. what 1t
should not do, as what he Should. Muci
skill as ii requires to plant q tree, it require
still more 10 pruue it so as to help its growli
aud fruit bearing. Fortunately for th'
ncrsery.mcn, there is so little skill in plant
ing, that majority Of the trees removed
:rom the nursery never call for pruning
The sunbeams of their first season remov,
every redundant twig with a thoroughnes:
that !ac most rahid pruper might envy. 4
small sample CT understood bean poles is tht
autumn inventory of what went upon hi:
plantation in The spring as 4 splendid lot c
the choicest fruit trees, purchased at one
dollar EACH These Of course will net wan
further pruning. But you have an old or
ehard, with some dead limbs and thick
heavy growth Of sprouts, and so much tol
that there is no chance for the sun to get ii
20 ripen the fruit, what is to be done with it
Do no. in(er that because you have keen
edged knife and 4 sharp saw, that the best
ree YOU can make of them is 10 go into The
apple tree tops with them in April. The
ruth, is, February, March and April, arc
the worst three months in the year for this
purpose. Lay your pruning tools upon the
>l.c!f for the present, and walk with US tc
Your ncighbor's orchard. You see that
many large limbs were removed aud thai
,he old wood is now near y as black as il
It had been painted, aud that 4 long biach
stain extends far down the anpulated limb,
greatly injuring as well us disfgurins the
bark. Examine the wood closely and you
ni!l Gnd il has already begun to decay
The whole tree has received shock BY
,his u::,!a:e!y pruning, and years will nol
repair the injury.
Tie best time for general pruning is al
the close oil the first growth of summer
which is from the 18th Of June to the 18th
July. Then The leaves will take care Of the
ilowipg zap, aud all small wounds will be
rapidly healed over. The large wounds
may he closed by coating Of tar, thicken,
ed with brick dust, applied warm. Gum
Silei!ac is good, but is more liable to peel
CT than the tar mixture.
Never cut limb for the sake Of using
-our tools. The tops Of apple trees do not
scGr'"o scvere thinning in our hot summers.
Mature understands the wants of the tree
uitcn much better than the gardener who
Las hat! lis training under the dripping skies
.i England. The thick limbs and loliag
arc needed to protect the trunk, the large'
branches and the fruit You will fnd you'
iai,cst specimens in the top Of the tree, and
,,artially shielded from the suns rays b.,
isaves Very small limbs, a half inch
l!Ilonyh, that cross each other or that inter.
,ere with tho symmetry of the top, may
SOW he removed, but no general pruning
.LoIld be attempted.
VARIERY Of CROPS.
The farmer must have not one but many
strings to his bow, so if one fails he Cal
.ry another. II we depend on one kind ol
production, and the season proves bad 70! il
we are up "salt river;" but with variety oi
crops we must be right with some of them
let The season he what it may. Hence, oul
subsistence at least is reduced TO a certainty
wh;th is not the case with any other pur'
tu;t. Besides, a variety Of crops enable II:
to te sowing and harvesting throughout lhe
semsou. Some are ea,ly and some arc late
i.crce we can lie constantly busy, and tc
purpose, which is a great desideratum in /
cold climate. Raising many different arti
elts, permits US to 6l up the measure Of ou
sine aid our cellars, corn cribs and srana
les to ovcrAowing. Lil.o things are Otter
overlooked; bat it is many minute atom;
shat form the mighty aggregate. Ever,
masoa k"ows that i wall must be well chink
Cd or its pcrpeluity is endangered. Conse
Gucn;iy in agriculture we should not forge
'ue day Of small things; but endeavor, by
every means in our power, to increase oul
revenue by multiplying its productions
This variety is the spice Of life; and by the
Sweat Of our brow, the curse of labor is
removed. | will here mention list Of arti
<las which almost every small! or large far.
,4e. may raise and sell to profit: wheat
I've, barley, cats, buckwheat, corn, broom
corn, :niilct, beans, peas, hay, straw, corn,
'odder. horses, hens, geese, turkeys, beef
;orl,, tal.ow, lard, hides, mutton, wood, but.
ter, cheese, milk, fax, fax seed, potatoes
ieets, onions, cabbages, carrots, turnips
,ucunbers, lettuce, pumpkins, squashes
,uuskneloas, watern,cloas, tomatoes, peach.
cs, pears, apples, cider, vinegar, curranls
grapes, raspberries, bralnbleberries, straw.
series, ounces, cherries, plums, cranLerries
askci, willow, walnuts, chcsnuts, bees
honey, wood, maple sugar.
Here, then, we have enumerated sixty
different articles which, at the low average
estimate Of SO, will give the handsome
.am of 5000 4 mice little income, isn't it
HThy would it no: be good plan to keep &
:ook in which to register and account oul
,rop9 We might start with, determine te
.on,e up to the above estimate, and as ou
zpericncc, ability and capital increased
50 might double treble, or quadruple it
,i,ich last would be $40 for each article, o.
$500 in The aggregate. This matter il
certainly worth looking into. i we desire
wealth The Mississippi is mighty stream