Charles City intelligencer., 1865-04-06
ulturaI.
THE HOMESTEAD,

THE HOMESTEAD. '
Hoto 10 make il attractive Apple Orchards
Profitable Iacestment-Hop 10 Plant the Tree
and take care Of hem-Hardy Haricties.
Nothing renders the Homestead
more attractive or its inmates NOR,
contented, cheerful and happy, thai
an abundant supply of choice varie
ties of fruit during all seasons of th'
year; especially if it is produced a
home.
fs 1t has been estimated by men o
experience, that a good apple orchard
well located, with good varieties o
hardy trees, well taken care OF, jus
coming into full fruiting condition
will pay the interest on from five hun
dred to one thousand dollars per acre
for twenty or thirty years. This
would appear to he sufficient induce
ment for the outlay of some labor and
money, and the exercise Of some pa
tience and care, to get an orchard es
tablished and brought into bearing
after which the principal labor will
be in gathering and marketing the
fruit.
Select the Northern and Eastern
slopes of the highest land you have
for the double purpose Of avoiding as
much as possible, the late spring frosts
on the blossoms, and the early autumn
frosts upon the fruit /: also, to protect
the trees from the greatest intensity
Of the suns rays during the middle
and latter part Of the day, when thaw
ing during the latter part of winte
and early spring, also during the hot
dry weather of summer.
The soil should be dry, which caus
es the wood to become hard and solio
before the cold freezing of winter. A
compact soil holds the trees firmly
and prevents their injury from the
powerful winds oi summer when the
trees are covered with foliage. Clay
in the soil, is highly congenial TO the
growth of tue apple trees. 1t retard.
or prevents the working of the 60
piers it makes the soil compact and
renders the trees more productive
when in bearing. When any part OF
the land designed for an orchard is
moist, il should be underdrained. The
mole drain is good implement for
this purpose. When the moisture
rises to the surface, you generally find
clay under it; if your land is level
pillow it into ridges. and set your trees
on the ridge, leaving dead furrows
open to drain off the surplus water
Most trees that produce acids in their
fruit or seeds grow and produce well
in alkaline soils. Bones. pounded
lime rock, and clay, are all congenial
to their growth and frui,fulness. II
the soil is sandy, dig large hole, ill
it in part with bones, or pieces OF
lime rock and cover it with clay. II
it is black and mucky. strew it with
Stacked lime, before aud after plant
ing the trees. This will neutralize
the acid. and decompose the vegetable
matter in the soil.
PROTECTION.
IF the land selected for the orchard
is infested with gophers, use the spade
in every fresh gopher mound, and
drop small piece Of potato contain.
ing a small quantity of strychnine in
to each gopher hole until they are ex-
terminated some distance beyond the
boundaries of the orchard Dead 60
piers make good manure for the trees.
Ihave seen orchards surrounded by
timber infested with rabits, remain
entirely uninjured by them, where the
bodies of the trees received a good
coat Of whitewash made OF good lime,
with little salt added to make il
more adhesive; this should he applied
in the fall.
If the location is near the timber
and rabbits are abundant, keep a
couple of long, slim built brood cats,
either black, brindle or Malteese
breed, all of one color. In couple
Of years the rabbits will be extermin.
ated, and the catskins will be valua.
BILE for robes. Cultivate swcet-corn
between the rows Of trees, and leave
the small ears on the stock, and shock
it and let it stand in the orchard until
spring, when it can be used for fod-
der. This is said to be an unfailing
remedy, they prefer the corn to the
bark Of the trees. The growing corn
protects the bodies of the trees from
blistering during the hot weather, be.
fore the branches have grown suff.
GENTLY to shade them. Some persons
plant currants or raspberries about
two feet from the bodies, on the South
side OF each tree, and let them remain
until the branches of the tree furnish
sufficient shade, when they should be
removed.
TIMBER BELT AROUND THE ORCHARD.
Some orchards in compact soils sue
ceed we'll on high rolling land withou,
timber protection, but the safer rule
is to have it, especially on the norti
and west sides some plant four ol
FIVE rows of locust or forest trees ano
cultivate them three or four years. III,
same az the orchard, but the cheapest
most efficient. and probably the mos
profitable one would be, to plant ;
. row Of cottonwood cuttings, exactly
half rod (8 feet 8 iuches) apart
then plant a hedge Of wild plums eigh
or ten feet from the cottonwoods on
the inside. Choice varieties Of cult
waited plums may be grated into thi'
hedge with great success. After fon
or Eve years growth, the tops OF th
coffnnwooda should he cut off ahon