Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-08-16
Watering Trees in Hot Weather.

give repeated instruction that is so little
understood as that of watering newly set
trees and shrubs daring the hot and dry
weather of summer. Many persons dash
water on the surface and necer examine
whether it goes down half an inch or an
inch while the roots may be six inches or
a foot below and as little affected by it as
{ thirsty horse would be oy pouring pail
of water on his tail 1t would be well
worthy Of the experiment for any reader
a hard piece Of dry soil a drenching with
a watering-pot, and then, few hours
afterward, dig down and examine the
depth to which the moisture has pene-
trated, and compare it with an adjoining
spot that has not been watered The re-
suit would be a valuable lesson. Let the
experiment be extended ALLOW one por>
ton of the gronnd to become hard and
crusted, and keep another loose and mel
low Examine the moisture in the soil
six inches down, during drouth-the crust
ed portion will be dry, the mellow part
moist and favorable for the growth of
plants. Again, examine a portion of the
soil which has been allowed TO grow with
weeds and grass, as compared with the
clear and mellow part, and the difference
will be surprising to those who haze not
before witnessed anything of the kind
Grass and other plants pump water up
from the soil and scatter it to the air in
the form of insensible vapor throue the
leaves, many times faster than it can
evaporate from bare soil; and beneath the
grass the earth Will sometimes appear as
dry as ashes, while that which has been
kept pulverzed viii be found as moist as
n wet sponge. Actual obser ration Of these
differences, requiring few minutes oc-
casional examination, viii be more con-
vincinI than any amount Of reasoning.
1t viii show in a most satisfactory manner
the Importance of keeping the soil clear
aud constantly pulverized, both for retain
ing moisture and for faroring the ready
extension of roots.
Some years ago an acquaintance set out
thirty vaung cherry trees. Fifteen Of them
were occasionally and moderately watered.
and the remaining fifteen were left un-
touched The owner was much surprised
to find seven out of the fifteen watered
ones died by midsummer, and onl- two
out Of the unwatercd ones The truth
was, the water which had been applied
never reached ha fway down to the roots
while it hardened the surface into a stiff
crust, which is especially unfavorable to
young and newly set cherry trees. If he
had kept the surface constantly mellowed
hv repeated STRINGS, ard had mulched
the ground with grass or old straw for a
few weeks, at the hottest time Of summer.
the whole thirty trees would probably
have lived and grown we'll
As a general rule, mulching with pull
verified earth would be the most conven-
lent and best way to perform this opera
ton, if well performed If the Top soil is
kept completely pulverized, it has about
the same mechanical effect as saw-dGst
and chaf But soil becomes more quickly
packed solid again than either saw-dust,
chaff or short straw, and a very few culti-
vators can be induce ed to break it up fine
/ frequently enough. Hence, in ordinary
practice. the common mode Of mulching
with nav, straw, etc, succeeds hest a
neighbor once made banter with his
hired man as to which should raise the
most corn from quarter of an acre
/ The neichbor hoed his piece once a
week all summer yet in spite Of his
/ frequent hoeing, the hired mans corn was
much the best. He was puzzled for 9
time to account for it, until early one
morning be found him at work al it-and
then found out that be had hoed it every
morning before his employer had ari~en
1t has been common 10 ascribe the in
creased growth Of constant stirring to the
absorption Of ammonia from the air, etc.
but the true explanation is undoubtediv
the preservation of the moisture Of tn,
soil by the more perfect mulching thu
Afforded Country Gentleman.
WHAT FLIES CosT curious calcuIa