Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-05-22
Treatment Of Fruit Trees.--A Hard Win
ter.--Trees Killed from U4usnal Cause.

MI IoEE En-
Having read in an
Iowa paper your articles on the
treatment Of orchard trees, and find
ing the same so clearly rational and
correct wien comparing the causes
described with my trees, / have re-
solved to treat my orchard as you
advise. But there arc some things |
would inquire abont, as follows
There Icing several limbs growing
from common center, each limb
attached 10 a central one and the
forks of all being nal-formed, would
You sever all but one at the pruning
time IN jane or July?
Would yoa treat trees so large as
ten years old and would it be safe to
cut off the largest limbs of such Z?
OF the value Of your new treat
mcnt, and the fact Of bad pruning
and nal formed crotches causing
diseased circulation and producing
the south side blight or ,cinter- kiltinG,
there can be no doubt at all. The
treatment cannot fail of success, par.
ticularly with young orchards |
have hitherto practiced pruning in
Juncsand July and from experience
can say that trees are not injured in
the least by cutting off large limbs
at that time though / have never
severed Tic largest limbs from trees
of ten years old. feel safe howev-
er in doing so, unless your expert
ence would teach the contrary. NV
cherry and plum teees are also badly
formed in the crotches and will be
treated IS the applc--except the
early May or Richmond, the forks of
which seem all we'll formed, the bark
in crotch turning out
Can Miner Plums be had in your
vicinity =? see them recommended
by the Dubuque Farmers Club, and
10 for many years successful ut Ian
caster, Wis.
J. T.. GORDON.
DEBORAH, Iowa, May 9Th 1866,
ANSWER. -The articles published
late Y over my signature seemed to
cover the essential parts ofmy meth-
OF OF treating trees for what is com
monl y called wintor-killing or crotch
and south side blight. l should GER
tainly remove al NAL formed limbs,
or such rs are attached to the tree
SO as to have their bark turnir G in
ward ct the fork-remove them all
but one, whether large or small
one be left From an experience Of
two seasons in thus disposing of NAL
formed limbs, in every case success
tul in restoring trees to health, |
should not hesitate in leaving but
one, that enc the smallest, in cases
where several limbs grow from cen
ter.
As to the second inquiry. the larg
est Of my trees are but nine years
Old and | have not treated any old
er ones, but should have NO doubt
Of favorable results in removing the
largest limbs from trees Of dozen
years old.
Whilst about answering inquiries,
another asks Do You prefer to GOV
er wounds With grass sods, or do
you 50 advise from economic reasons"
And | reply. yes, believing grass
sods 10 BE the best as well as cheap
est White paint, in oil, is well rec
commended, but hold that the Gov
cring should be Of some substance
that viii keep the wounds moist
Miner Plums can be had in large OF
small quantities ncxt spring at the
Lancaster Nursery. SO says the
owner. This fruit is worthy Of any
high reputation that may be put up
on it.
Another matter Of interest to or
chard men 1T this time: | am re
minded by several that some of thcis
trees, Of all ages and sizes, show q
withered coalition this spring, fail
inc to leaf out, and there appearing
on such trees no defective crotches
or other apparent cause for their
dead condition.
This is q fatality among trees this
year, reported east and south rs
well as west, the cause Of which !
am not able 10 account with positive
ness. AnG, rs | have set cat to Of
fer only facts as demonstrated by
my own experience and practical
tests with fruit trees, shall forbear
for the present making any state
ment rs to the cause Of this fatality
but only as to limiting at possible
caGs@a.
/ have observed in my own and
ncighbors' orchards about 20 trees so
withcrcd they are nearly all low
topped trees, othinds hitherto known
to sometimes kill down, or withcr
and die without apparent defect or
cause tie lands upon which they
stood have been in high culture for
years all Or nearly ali took sec
onl growth last year,as shown by
the ends of limbs among the trees
so dead arc seedlings as we'll as graf