Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-08-04
WATERING Trees IN Hor WEATHER

given repeated instruction, that Is so little
understood as that Of watering newly
set trees and shrubs during the hot and
dry weather of Sumner. Many person,
dash water on the surface and never
examine whether it goes down half an
inch or an inch, while the roots may be
six inches or foot below, and as little
affected by it as thirsty horse would be
pouring pail of water on his tall
1t would be well worthy of the expert
ment for any reader Of these remarks tc
give the surface of hard piece of dry
soil a dreuching with waterlug-pot, and
then, few hours afterwards, dig down
and examine the depth to which the
moisture has penetrated, and compare il
with an adjoining spot that has not been
watered. Thesresult would be valua
bic lesson. Let the experiment be ex
tended. Allow one portion Of the ground
to become hard and crusted, and keep
another loose and mellow. Examine the
moisture in the soil six inches down, dur
ing drouth-the c.usted portion will be
dry, the mellow part moist and favorable
for the growth of PLANTS. Again exam
inc portion of the soil which has been
allowed to grow with weeds and grass
as compared with the clear mellow part
and the difference will be surprising to
those who have not before witnessed any
thing of the kind. Grass and other
plants pump water up from the soil and
scatter it to the air in the form of in.
sensible vapor through the leaves. many
times faster than it can esaporate from
bare soil and beneath the grass the
earth will sometimes appear as dry as
ashes, while that which has been kept
pulverized will be found as moist as " ct
sponge Actual observation Of these
differences, requiring few minutes oc.
casional examination, will be more con-
vincing than any amount Of reasoning
1t will shcw IN a NEST satisfactory man,
ner TIE Importance of keeping the soil
clear and constantly pulverized, both for
retaining moisture and tor favoring the
ready extension of roots.
Some years ago an acquaintance set
out thirty young cherry trees. Fifteen
Of them were occasionally and moderate
ly watered, and the remaining fifteen
were left untouched. The owner was
much surprised to find that seven gu: of
the fifteen watered ones died by midsum-
mer, and only two out Of the unwatered
ones.
The truth was, the water which had
been applied never reached half way
down to the roots, while it hardened the
surface into stiff crust which is especi
ally untayorable to young and newly set
cherry trees. If he had kept the sur
face constantly melowcd by repeated
stirring. and had mulched the ground with
old straw or grass, for few weeks at the
hottest time of summer, the whole thirty
trees would probably have lived and
grown well.
As general rule, mulching with pull.
verised earth would be the most convent
ent aud best way to perform this opera
ton, if well performed. II the top sol
is kept completely pulverised. it ha:
about the same mechanical effect as saw
dust and chatf. But soil becomes more
quickly packed solid, than either saw
dust, chaff or short straw, and yer.
few cultivators can be induced to breal
it up fine frequently enough. Hence il
ordinary practice, the common mode o
mulching with hay, straw, &c, succeeds
the best. A neghDor once made ban
ter with his hired man as to who shoult
raise the most corn from a quarter of al
acre. The neighbor hoed his piece one
week all summer, yet in spite of thi
frequent hoeing, the hired mans corr
was much the best. He was puzzled fol
a time to account for it, until early on
morning he found him at work at tan,
then found out that he had hoed it ever,
morning before hi. employer had arisen
1t has been common to ascribe the in
creased growth of constant stirring to tn
absorption of ammonia from the air, &c
but the true explanation is undoubte1l
the preservation of the moisture of sol
by the more perfec. mulchipg thus afford
ed.-[Country Gentleman.