Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-02-13
,,rrr.TTVATING AND MATURING
ORCIIA RDS.

JUL ORCHARDS.
Tree planters at the present time understand
much better than formerly the importance of
good cultivation to newly tronsplanted orchards.
Many of them have learned that fine costly,
valuable trees from the nursery might as well
he thrown into the brush heap for the fire, as
left, in total neglect to take care OF themselves
after being transplanted. Setting out peach .
trees especially in grass field, or in a hard !
crusted. weed-encumbered soil, is nearly GER
tain death to them. Apple trees may possibly
survive such treatment, but they scarcely grow
G1r long time. Even several years afterwards,
the effect of cultivation is very striking. We
have seen young peach orchards, five or six
wears old, standing in tall grass the longest
one-year shoots were not over three inches in
length Tr es OF the same age, under the best
clean mellow cultivation, were making shoots
three feet long In other words, the latter
grew as much in one year as the former in
twelve years. Intermediate grades of manage
mcnt-c1ltivated but sown grain fields short
cropped pasture; soil ploughcd in spring, but
neglected the rest Of the season these give
results not greatly better than the meadow.
There is curious influence exerted by the
character of a thin surface, on the roots of
first half foot below; yet daily stirring but
an inch of the suriac3 may quadruplc the growth.
Ten year old peach trees, in loose subsoil
throw some of their roots two feet below the
surface yet if that surface is covered with
mat of turf, the roots of which are not found
six inches down, Gas every ploughman of sward
has observed, )the growth of those trees will be
nearly arrested while slightly ploughed and
frequently narrowed surface will cause rapid
protrusion of shoots. These are the univer-
sally observed facts-whatcver the philosophy
may be.
A peach tree never reaches any age when
the great difference between the influence of
grass surface or hard crust and mellow culture,
is not strikingly conspicuous peach orch
ard should therefore never be neglected, as
long as it exists.
The roots of the apple, cherry, and standard
pear, run down further into the soil than the
roots of the peach, and consequently when they
become quite large cultivatng the surface has
less effect upon them. We have examined an
apple orchard twenty-five years old, part of
it in pasture, and the rest ploughed two. or
three times in the season, but not cropped.
The soil is light and the difference between
the two portions is but slightly in favor of the
cultivated part. If the tree had been but five
or six years old the difference wonld no doubt
nave UefH lar greater anu inc SUMMER ulttI
TRANSFORMING the shoots on the cultivated part
would have probably grown two feet, and but
two or three inches at the most, and probably
not an inch if standing neglected in grass
The question is asked us, and this question
has prompted these remarks When shall
know whether my full grown orchard needs
ploughing or manuring, or whether should be
satisfied with its present growth and produtiye-
ness ?"
The answer must be-if the branches now
make but little growth, so that the annual shoots
are not more than two or three or at most six
or seven inches, the trees are not in a suf-
GENTLY thrifty condition. y more vigorous
growth would give larger crops and fruit OF
finer and better quality; heavy product would
not so soon exhaust their energies-they would
recover from such temporary exhaustion more
spec oily. A shallow ploughing of the surface,
and a narrowing once month for three or
four times afterwards, will be useful, and much
more useful on a heavy soil than lightone
but this will not probably be quite enough.
An occasional top-dressing with moderate
coat OF manure either in autumn or early in
winter, will contribute to the vgor ofthe trees !;
and load or two Of ashes per acre, scattered
broadcast under them, may be of great use,
and cannot injure in any kind of soil. scat
terng of ime in some instances has proved
very DeHelclal "A more COplOuS treatment
with manure, without breaking the sod, might
even answer.
If the branches thick, and present a
mass of "brush," they should be evenly thin
ned out towards their ends, or on the outside
leaving the best and most thrifty to grow, thus
letting in among them the light from without.
Be especially careful TO avoid the common and
fatal error of trimming the centre OF the tree
near the top of the trunk, or among the large
branches, while the exterior remains as thick
as overland never for any consideration, cut
off a large limb, unless the most urgent neces.
sity demands it. Thin in-shorten in-from
the outside-never from the inside towards the
outer Usually, however, very little pruning
of any kind will be needed-it it is better to
trust to the effect of enriching and cultivating
the ground.
Continue the manuring each year until the
annual shoots shall bave attained at least foot
in length, when it may be slackened or discon-
tinued for time. When this improved growth
takes place the better quality of the fruit, as
well as its greater size, will give much satisfuc-
ton. The manure may be applied now in
early winter.-Co,ut,Y Gentleman.