The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-04-28
Agrnultural.
Orchards.

UrcnardS,
When the ground occupied bv an or
chard is uneven and not drained, the trees
on the dry kuolls will be larger and heal
thier, end will yield n ore abundant crops
:haa those IL The wet hoIows, and this
in spite of the fact that the soil in the
hollows is deeper and richer. Orchards
shonId always be drained.
In selecting a cite for an orch ard. choose
hill side, preference to n valley, divided
by small stream. Warm, low inter
walls Of land are more subject to untimeIy
lrosts than the neigboring elevations. As
the night air becomes chilled, lis density
increases and it rolls down the hills sides
and settles on the fa!s, where the pre-
vaiiing Stiffness favorS the process of free
zing. During the mild, sunny days Of
winter, fruit trees are more liable to swell
Prematurely on low bottoms. One who
is in the habit Of riding over a broken
piece of country in cold, still nights, will
not need to be told that the lowest tenn
perature will be found in the lowest local.
tiles.
Fruit trees will be less likely to suffer
from cold weather when tie ground they
stand upon is thoroughly drained. The
fruit grower who suffers his trees 20 stand
all winter in puddles Of water or in fetters
OF ice, has no right to complain if his rar
den is overstocked with grated pea
brush.
Many fruit growers prune too much,
cutting away all the low branches, so as
TO leave the tree with a tall, sic nder ma.
ked stem, fully exposed to all excesses of
heat and cold, dryness and dampness.-
Let a tree be allowed to have It's Own
way. and it will be surrounded in summer
with breastwork Of foliage. The lower
branches and spray will break the force
Of winds in %inter.
The objection that low branches are
hindrauce to plowng, is only another
reason why they should be suffered TO
remain. Among the many enemies of
huit trees none are more destructive and
remorseleSs than the pow. 1t does in.
curable mischief by breaking roots, bruis-
ing bark, and mutilating branches. A
pow ought never to pass nearer to a
fruit tree than the tips Of its lowest branch
es. Let the spade be used in iooseninc
the soil and removing the grass close
bout the trunk.
a gardener once planted an extra sized
pear tree, with a long pokerish stem, for
"hlce an extra price was paid, with the
hope that It would yield large and imme-
diate returns. A ueighbor's COW slroIled
In at the open gate, and gave an abrupt
lesson in tree culture 10y breaking OF the
long beam pole Of a seckel about two
feet from the ground. The trees owner
tried to be resigned to this Nandalism.-
The tree itself was more than resigned
it was glad for it. In the spring it made
haste to repair its shattered fortunes by
throwing out a circle of vigorous shoots
that formed q round compact head, near
enough TO the ground to Withstand the
violence, Of high wind, and proving bv its
annual and abundant crops that mau
rading cows accidental pruning may be
more philosophical than that Of men
who boast of their skill and careful obser
vation.
MASURING
Fruit-trees will be better prepared to
encouter the hardships Of winter if they
are supplied with enough Of wholesome
and congenial food during the summer
months. Farmers well know how much
easier it is to carry their stock through
the winter satisfactorily if they are in
good condition when winter begins. The
same rule is good respecting trees Ihuv
should be fed with specific manures. An
analysis Of the ashes Of the pear tree
will show twenty two parts Of potash,
twenty seven part Of phosphate of lime,
and twelve parts Of lime. The pear tree
in growing state hungers after these
particular elements Feeding it with
barnyard manures will cause an un.
healthy succulent, luxuriance, wholly
unfit TO resist the attacks Of cold.--
Bones, ashes, and lime, with decayst veg
etable matter from the forest, are the