Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-05-12
Che farmer.
Agricultural Readings.--No. 8.
FRUIT GROWING.

the raising OF 1rult, anu tlosf VIM w. o~''i-
yate in very cautious way. During the
mast winter, as we have had occasion to visit
different sections of the State, we have made
enquiry into the matter; and the conclusion
to which We have come, is, that the cultlva-
ton of fruit is lamentaby neglected. Many
families have been without apples the entire
winter, and many others who have had them,
have had such poor varieties that they were
hardly worthy the name.
How true it is, that men enjoy most, that
which promises the most speedy reward $
aud many men have been dissuaded from set
Ting out an orchard by the lapse of time that
it would require before they could realize
fruit thcrefivm. But it should be remem-
bered, thas the trees themselves, though not
in bearing condition, add greatly to the value
of the farm. Tees that cost twenty cents
at the time of setting, if they do ordinarily
well, more than double their value in two
years; and farm with an orchard of one
hundred hrifty, well-selected apple trees, ten
years from the time Of setting, will have in
creased in va.uc, in consequence thereof, at
least three hundred dollars while the
crops taken from the land 'hus devoted to
the young orchard remain nearly the same.
Can money be invested to better advantage
than this? 1T is such slow work blowing
and cultvating around the trees" objects
one. Use little caution and take little
more time. You can well afford to do this,
if by the means you can double your invest
ment every two years for eight years to
come. 1.-The field mice are so troublesome;
they always girdle my young trees;" objects
another. Tie little birch bark around the
trunk in the autumn or when the snow falls
n the winter make practice of spending
nalf an hour in stamping the snow around
,'our trees or it you have any old stove
ipe cut it up and put that around them;
ither of these safeguards properly applied
will be a successful preventive against this
vii. But am too old;' objects third.
IF | had thought Of the matter fifteen or
Henty years ago it would have been good
thing; but it is too late now" This plead
ing the excuse of age is IL great mistake;
md made by farmers all the way from thirty
five 10 seventy years of aye. If ga do not
live to realize the benefit of the fruit, your
children or grandchildren or some generation
that follows you, may; and this should be a
sufficient inducemcnt to any one who looks
with the eyes of true man upon the duties
of life.
We remember of hearing of farmer who
would not plant an orchard for fear he should
not live to eat the fruit thereof; his son en-.
ortaining the same views likewise neglected
10 do so; but the grandson planted fol- pos
tcrity; yet his predecessors shared in the
fruit also, for the grandfather drank hogsheads
OF the cider made from the orchard of the
gra dson.
Good fruit is a great luxury; and is not
only healthiul but an economical article of
,liet and should be furnished as much as
meats or vegetables as one Of the necessaries
in every family. 1t lessons the excessive
use Of various articles OF diet, the too fire.
queut use of which tend to fcvers, humors,
and great variety of diseases Setting
aside the increased value of IA farm possessing
good orchard and the annual additional in
come therefrom, we believe the Increased
health of the family alone would more than
compensate for the trouble and expense.
In raising young orchard three things
should be attended to. A judicious selection
not only Of the varieties but Of the trees
themseheS; due regard being had to their
shape and thrift. The transplanting this
is very important matter Many persons
in setting out tree, dig hole in the
ground, thrust the tree into it, refill the hole
with dirt, and wondering at their i'll success,
become disguised with orchard growing. In
setting tree the hole should be dug large,
the earth thoroughly loosened and puIverized
for considerable space about the roots, and
the delicate fbres Of the roots placed tender
ly and carefully in their natural position !;
great care being used in keeping them from
being jammed together Or knotted up; then
place the pulverized earth compactly about
the tree, and your care will be well rewarded
by thrifty and promising growth. Take
good care of the trees after they are Sc ected
and traasplanted. Stakes should be driven
and additional supports given when nccessa-
ny, to protect them against winds, or 10 train
their branches in proper direction; from
year to year they should be carefully pruned
and their bark washed with preparatin of
soap-suds and chamber ye to prevent the in
fuonce of mould and insects, and preserve
the bark healthy and vigorous And when
the trees shall have attained lineage of ten
years, the barrels of luscious fruit that you
will gather from such an orchard, will realize
to you more domestic comfort and more
money than any triple number of acres you
may have elsewhere on the farm, the garden
only excepted.
Our too liberal indulgence in meats, fat,
butter, hot bread fine -four, and tea and
coffee, all call loudly for more fruit to lessen
their use or palliate their effect. The cooling
and gently laxative influence of fruit in reg
ulatlng the stomach and bowels and attenu.
ating and purifying the blood, is more valu-
able than all the nostrums drugs and quack
medicines that science has discovered or en-
piricism proclaimed
While waiting for young orchard to grow,
most OF our farmers, if not all, could obtain
nice fruit. by grating old trees. Upon nearly
every farm can be found some old apple trees
sufficiently thrifty to be valuable for grating.
Many rough, scraggy tree, has in spite of
Its ungainly looks, a sound heart; and scrap.
ing Its bark and trimming its branches judi
ciously, Will In great measure restore its
thrift and natural beauty. Such tree could
De grated to advantage, and made productive
In very short time. A gentleman by the
name OF Eames grated tree that was sew.
enty-hVe years old, to the Porter apple, and
the seventh year from grating, it yielded ff.
teen barrrls Of nice fruit which sold for tb;rtv
dollars; We 40 not suppose every larmer
would be equally successtul,-yet eyerv one
would attain some success and the increased
amount OF income from the farm would be