The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1864-07-07

Taken from the published pamphlet Of ". W
Dsebce Of Dubuque, Iowa.

0seDee Of Duhiluc, iowa.
The complaining OF earnest inquiry
still comes up from many quarters, "wby
cannot 70 raise successfully here in
Iowa, those fruits with which we were
20 abnndantly blessed in our Eastern
homes 2" And while browning sue
cess bae attended well directed efforts
to grow fruit, il has also become paten'
.o.very one, that from some cause, thou
sands Of our more or less recently plan
ted fruit trees do die every year, in our
young and fast growing State; and
consequently It is quite natural tina,
puch inquiries should continue to be
ma 'e, and that many fears of a failure
IN tra'. growing should still DC seriously
"f,aitaincd. The causes and proven.
ION et these losses are therefore the
more interesting and important.
Permit me 70 pcrmise what | shall
wil'e Upon this subject, by saying that
ny remarks arc designed to be adapted
to Iowa, with its dry and windy climate
Is ey're're and sudden changes, as
wei? as its usually light, deep, friable
and comparatively timberless soil.
Reared in Ontario county, New York.
nrd for some years resident Of central
o., | know that much of what shall
communicate upon this subject will ap
pear very inapplicable to those local.
''as and doubtless equally SO to The
East in general.
The causes Of the destruction of nit
trees above referred to, are usually one
or more 81 the fonr following, viz:
LIST. N suitable preparation Of The
.rcaaf'' grounds, but only shallow
culture and planting which has caused
the horizontal tree roots TO grow and
remain 50 year tie su,f,ce that ti,ey
haze OLGA been killed by hard freezing
during some ofour dry and nearly spow.
less winters. The planting Of unaccli
'ns:e;l trees, OF unadap,ed varieties that
lave died either quickly or by slow de
te,ces. Tie killing Of the fbrous roots
- freezing, Or exc, ssive drying while
a..ing tranSpanted. The starving Of
tie trees, hy permitting the more ram
pant and exhausting crops Of grass.
gam or weeds, to occupy and possess
the orchard grounds, after the trees
were planted.
But, As | wish to give my views 10 a
mc:e extended form, | will pursue the
general subject in the following ord,r
namely:
lst. How 10 prepare the ground for
on orchard.
2. What kinds Of trees to plant.
Sd. How to plant and when.
A'!. How TO cultivate, and what
crops may he safely grown in the or
chard.
9Th. How and ~ncn to prime.
G,h. How to protect from climate,
insects and animals.
How TO PREPARE THE GROUND.
The most Indispensable part OF this
work 's, TO loosen deeply by blowing
o. spad ne the entire plat designed for
an orchard. This is very easily and
cheaply done by using subsoil plow
t'follow common ono which has al
ready passed as deep as good team
could run it. In the absence of sub
soil, a common plow can be made to
run the second time in the same turrow
and thereby mellow the soil 10 the
depth Of from twelve to fifteen or even
eighteen inches. This same form of
deep culture is also quite essential to
permanent success in growing all kinds
OF fruit bearing vines and plants.
The benefits secured by such deep
culture are chiefly the more safe tiber
nation or self protection of all deeply
embedded roots during some Of our fire
quent!y open and changeablc winters;
the efficient drainage thereby provided
for an excessively wet time and an
untalllDg reservoir Of moisture and nu
triton, which are constantly furnished
by the circulation and condensation Of
the atmosphere for the timely supply Of
trees and plants in soil so deeply mel
lowed, during our frequent and long
ccatinned seasons Of dronth. Indeed.
So tine is this, that on all ordinaril,
rolling and friablc lands, no artificial
drainage or watering will at all com
pare in efficiency and value with the
spontaneous workings Of kind Nature
herself in soil kept me,lowed deep
enough to give sufficient space for her
faithful perfol manccr. a severe drou,h
therefore is fearful foe to none but the
shallow cultivst"r of the deep soil that
God has given to him for better ..oc-
Cunyiuvo than he las eyer mad.