Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-09-24

I
have long been under the impression
brought to us merely by observation
that as a rule the trees in our apple or
ehards are planted too distinctly apart
Many farmers look upon the space
usually occupied BY orchards as almos
so much waste. They say, we get 81
little fruit from the ground occupied b.
the trees, and we cannot cultivate The
orchards as We should Ike. from in
Jury to the roots. &C., so that We are
forced On the scale Of economy, to
abandon apple raising.
Now, practically. an orchard should
be an orchard only. Except for grass,
! it should be leh uncultivated, after the
trees have reached, say about four
inches in diameter. We can see no
reason why a good crop Of grasses
should not be produced continuously for
quarter or q third Of century with
out disturbance. A top dressing OF
manure we know has produced fue
fields Of grass annually crops
The trees have little or no influence
upon the crops of grass; indeed, il they
possess any, it is in sffording heavier
swathe Under the trees.
Hence instead OF setting out young
orchards thirty and. thirty-dye feet
apart, reduce the distance to about
twenty FIVE in the quincunx form. and.
if at any time the trees shocld become
a little crowded, prevent itby additional
pruning. This IS our theory.
The leading purpose Of an orchard
should be TO obtain fruit; next the crop
that will do the least damage to the
trees. This is grass. Grass, however,
will not only do no damage to the
apple trees, but the contrary. 1t keeps
the soil moist and Of uniform tenn
perature-protecting the roots in sum
mer against heat and drouth,- and In
winter against the severe effects Of al
ternate thawing and freezing.
1t should also be remembered, in
setting out young orchards, to get the
trees as low branched as possible
They will generally not grow so high,
while the low bows will protect the
trunk against the intense rays Of the
sun in the summer months, which are
frequently very injurious to the health
and productiveness Of the trees Ger
mantown Telegraph.
soAE FACTS ABOUT APPLES.
wehave an old apple tree that was
revived by trimming and grating it
with Baldwin scions fourteen years
ago. 1t had been greatly neglected.
and was fast running to ruin when
the work Of renovation commenced.
The trimming aud grating process
was not done at once. but judieiously
continued through three years. Du-
ring this time the sward was dug up
and pulverized, and the soil for di-
ameter of twenty feet about the tree
was manured and dressed two or three
times a week with wood ashes. The
manure was slightly dug in when
applied. The new gratis began to
bear moderately the third year, and
gradually increased, until IN 1860 they
gave US seventeen barrels Of apples.
In 1851, they yielded only peck OF
two, and the present year, 1859, twen-
ty-fve brrrels, all medium size, market
able apples. Another tree which had
scarcely a sound limb on it, was renno'
waited at the same time. This however
produced the Hunt Russet apple, and
did not need grating. The dead wood
was cut away, the top thinned little,
and a mound of good soil raised foot
in hight about the trunk. The ground
under the branches was dressed with
ashes and old composts about every
other year for six years.
The tree commenced bearing the
summer succeeding the care bestowed
on it, and has averaged about two bar
rels per year since. These apples were
especially valuable, as It was the only
tree on the place that furnished any fl
for family use. By considerable pleas
ant care and expense, we have been
enabled to gather this year about one
hundred and twenty-five barrels oI
very fine appIes.-[New England Far
mer.