Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-05-24
Horticulture.

Me. EDITOR Webster says Horticulture is cul.
tivaiing garden; or the art ofcutivatng gardens.
We have Americanzed it little and added to its
meaning the orchard and all branches of fruit
growing
First, our front yards. would like to add this
| to-horticultu'e shade trees, flowers aud plants
Let US for moment look into this art of cultva-
ton. How regret to see SO many fine trees and
plants have been bought in this town, treated
though there was no art in taking care of them as
though they needed no cultivation. J. ]. Thomas,
one of the very pest horticulurists in the United
Stat. $, has examined the ground about the roots
OF b irult trees to ind their exteLt. and hndS US
general rule that they extend about the dist
OF the heighth OF the tree that is, tree ten feet
high, will have roots to fill circle twenty feet
across Therefore, to have a tree grow 20 It's best
| and most luxuri IAN advantage. ought 10 cuiti
the ground this distance, stir II often Keep 1t
mellow, rich and slightly moist, not wet, tree rom
| all grass, weeds, or other plants. Now protest
against you people in tnwn, and we in the country,
planting trees i'll grass plot or sodding up close
| about trees and shrubbery we wish to grow
| have heard OF the novice, who was not acquainted
| with the art of planting corn who put in whole
handful in each hill, in order to raise big crop.
| We plant about four grains in each hill and hills
four feet apart each wny thai is four square feet OF
ground to- each stalk. 1t is true the roots will
have to interlash very much therefore. it needs
rich soil and frequent cultivation, in order to
make good crop.
| How different and neglected is the cultivation
| Of our front yards, compared with the farmers
cornfeld What! would have our front yards all
cult ated muddy soil? would have narrow
borders of grass, and # l had room, u
grass plot by itself. and more gravel to
walk upon. 1t is not in the economy of Heaven or
earth, to raise successfully severa crops upon the
same soil. We cannot raise wheat and cabbage
together, or grass and corn nor can we raise trees
and grass together. l tell you plainly, there is
quite too much scdding IN your front yards for
your trees and shrubbery 70 grow. Grass doubles
| the deadly power of the drouth- The trees which
you pay as much for as the farmer does for wheat
| to seed an acre or corn for i've acres, has q. t
that cultivat on the farmer gives each square rod
Your trees dwindle and die for want Of the appli
cation of tina. beautiful art, namely, to clear away
the grass. and to stir The ground with hoe: once
week until midsummer. Mulching with we'll
rotted chip dirt. old rotten manure, will answer
| in the place of hoeing
These remarks will do for nearly all your garden
cultivation yet some plants ought not to be mulch
ed such as potatoes and especially sweet potatoes.
They want the heat Of the sun. strawberry plants
want some room for their roots. Do not let them
get into thick mass, like the novice's handful OF
corn in a hill
Where are the horticulturists of Muscatine? and
where the Horticultural society? l doubt If the
taste for horticulture is growing any here. 1t is
much neglected. We want society.
The military occupation of Cairo. at the
junction Of the Mississippi and Ohio, by
Lincoln's mercenaries, and the stopping and
SEEING vessels, will stir up the bravest men
Oh this continent to arms. None of the
States that lie on these streams will ever sub
mt to this high handed procee ding Rich
naond Wing.
One would think that the States which
have submitted quietly to the planting Of Sc
cession batteries, and the seizure of boats,
and the confiscat;on Of cargoes, and the
shooting of passengers at points on the Mis-
sissippi below Cairo, might afford to look
with little complacency upon he seizure Of
articles contraband of war at that place. Why
strain at gnat after swallowing half doz-
en- camels, humps and all ?--Louisvills Jour.