Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-06-18
ACRICULTTRE.

learn. Every gardner knows that when ne
trains Bignonia venusta, or, indeed, any
other climbing vine, up rafter in his green
house or conservatory-be that rafter ten
feet or thirty-the vine does not flower well
until it has reached the whole rafter's length.
Then it sends out its side shoots and from
these the flowers hang in wild profusion.
And it has long been remarked and often
a subject of speculation with the curious,
that the evergreen Ivy, Firginian Creeper,
Trumpet Vine, and other climbers, never
flower until they reach the top of the tree
or wall that supports them. When once the
summit is reached, Towering branches APP
pear all up along the sides, and in every d.
rection from bottom to top.
The reason of all this is obvious. Climb
brs only grow well when they have some
thing to cling to. When they reach the
limit of their support, growth is arreste d
and with arrested growth comes the flower
ing condition.
There is lao doubt that this is the real rea-
son of grape vines Towering so well an
bearing such bOuntful crops of fruit when
ever strong branch manages to get on a
neighboring tree. Their growth is encour-
aged by the congenial support; till reaching
the summit of the tree, or perhaps only tn e
summit of some extending branch, the great
growth is arrested, and profusion of fruit
is the natural sequence.
The great vine at Hampton Court, in Eng
land, is one of the wonders of the world
Many theories have been advanced to account
| for its wonderful age in such extraordinary
productiveness but how much of it all may
not be owing to the horizontal training nee
essary to make the one vine fill a large
house.
Independent of all this, the advantage of
making pears bear well by bending down
their branches is well known, and the Frenc
| have one of their most popular systems OF
fruit management founded on this practice.
In the face of all this and much more to
which we need not refer the reader, a Mr..
Hossbrink comes forward and sets all France
together by the ears on the wonderful mystic
ries of making fruit trees productive by ar
| resting their growth, and bending down the
branches.
Behold how great a fire little spark kind
leth But let US rather rejoice that the fire
has been kindled, than repine that, with all
our attempts the blaze of improvement start.
| ed not Possible the great truth will now
impress itself on the dullest apprehension,
that horizontal training is one of the great
! secrets of prOductiveness, and that, that sys-
tenn of pruning-whether it be of the grape
vine or any other fruit tree-which cOnduces
most to vigorous horizontal growth will be
most popular and most perfect.-Ihe Gard
,aeT's Monthly.
FLAT SURFACE FOR CORN.-The old fashion
of killing Indian corn, so long prevalent
among our farmers, appears still to have
many advocates We are not at present pre-
pared to discuss the subject in all its bear
ings, but shall merely offer few remarks in
relation to the advantages resulting from
fiat surface on light soils, and from cultiva
ting the crop with the cultivator, instead of
cultivating with the pillow, harrow and hoe.
1t will be evident, we think, to every can
did mind, that the practice of constructing
large conical hills around the plants, on land
which is light and dry, must inevitably tend
to increase the effects of the drought, mas
much as it exposes more surface to the at
mosphere, and consequently increases are
faction at times when all the moisture con-
tanned in the soil is required for the support
and sustenance OF the plants. When rain
falls, the conical hill conducts the water from
the roots to the centre of space between the
rows and hills, very little of the fluid being
retained about the plants, or within range of
the small roots, by which the pabaaknm is ia
ken up by the growing plants, and without
which they would Immediately languish and
decay.
On light soils we think killing is always a
disadvantage to the crop. Every fresh stra-
tum of earth placed over the roots causes the
protruson of a new set of latteralS, to the
detriment of those previously formed. This
cxhausts the energy of the plant, without in
creasing in any degree its powers of appro-
priating food from the surrounding soil, as
the first formed roots cease to grow as soon
as those caused by the deposition of new
are developed, and in a short time will be
found to have lost their vitality and become
mere worthless appendages, and which may
be as well removed from the system as not.
Besides, when the corn is chilled up" the
stalks are " blanched and rendered brittle
by the fresh soil, and this, in case of strong
| winds, causes them to break which is an in
Jury involving diminution of product and
| CONSEQUENT loss 1t has also been remarked
that corn, when cultivated without chilling"
and with a perfectly level or fiat surface,
will, when Frustrated by the wind, rise much
more readily than when the opposite method
is pursued And know this to be so.--Cor-
respo,adaace Germantown Telegraph.
GROwING CUCUMBERs.- a large barrel
or hogshead; saw it in two in the middle,
and bury each half in the ground even with
the top. Then take a small keg and bore
small hole in the bottom; place the keg in
the centre of the barrel, the top even with
the ground, and fill in the barrel around the
keg with rich EARTH suitable for the growth
of cucumbers. Plant your seed midway be-
tween the edges of the barrel and the keg,
and make kind of arbor foot or two high
for the vines to run on. When the ground
becomes dry, pour water in the keg in the
evening-iI will pass out at the bottom of the
keg into the barrel and rise up to the roots
of the vines, and keep them moist and green.
Cucumbers cultivated this way wall grow to
a great size, as they are made independent
both of drought and wet weather. In wet
weather the barrel can be covered, and in
the dry ground can be kept moist by pouring
water III the keg.
CEMENT FOR WOUNDED TREEs.-Take of air
Stacked lime, three parts; linseed oil, three
parts; common cow dung, three parts; black
pitch, two parts. Mix the first three ingredi-
ents thoroughly together with spatula, and
add the pitch after it has been fuidiied and
heated over good fire. If the cement is too
thick to be applied with brush, it may be
tbined to the requisite consistency by adding
more pitch, or a sufficieney of liHseed oil and
spirits of turpentine, in equal proportions
When large limbs are removed, coating OF
this applied to the stumps, will prevent rot,
and promote the healing of the wound.
Decay in the trunks of apple and other trees,
may be speedily and effectually arrested, by
cutting away the diseased parts, and filling in
the cavity with this cement, properly thick
ened for the purpose with an additional guam.
tity of the first four ingredients in their
proper relative proportions Germantown
| TeeqrdDh