The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-04
Terms Eight Dollars per a,anuns, S,s advance.


Mr.. C's other theory, that the soils of the old
er farms differ from their original element.
ary condition, is doubtless true of such portions
OF the farm as have been ploughed and cropped
much; but what should have changed the ele-
mentary condition on orchard lands and other
able.
Inc following is entitled to attention:
his M iittia sline Mqs when the careful farmer hal
nuaIIv drpcn pa.cn OF nursery, from which he an
orchards NJ NJ trees ior the extension Of his
understood that seeds taken fro,,, -
were much more likely to prodnco '1o5 "Ppi.s
In imam or SeeSS Snyhd iroM tue poace OF the cider n
the seeds from the grated anHlea tSt NJ 70 save
ished so well These seeds w,.ra ~ 10. =; we rel
and frozen, and planted in early snr;r wet n1 Git
little act OF pains taking paid well Man us us
chards have been thus produced where noor
apple could rarely be found. p''t
There is truth in this suggestion, more than
some persons suppose. Ii is o law of nature.
that like should beget like, not only in species.
but often in the several varieties under the
species. Seeds from good apples, viii, as q gen.
eral rule, produce better fruit, than seeds from
tsgraftupon. Twenty-Five years ago we planted
a garden bed with seeds OF the Tallman Sweet
Ing Two years after, we removed the seed
hngs to a nursery ground, ,-trimming the roots
as carefully as we trimmed the tops, which il
an important desideratum, as it is as impor-
tant to have properly shaped roots as 1t is sypl-
metrical tops, setting them out in rows throe
ieet apart and sixteen inches apart in the
rows, thus enabling the trees to have room,
enough TO ripen their wood in the sun and air
and to spread their branches Alright. Two
years after, we engrafted the whole number
WIN various kinds Of scions. In most cases II
turned out, when the trees came TO boarinr
that the kinds were decided improvement on
those generally in the market, which we at.
tributed to the fact that the stocks partoolc
somewhat of the saccharine character of tbs
fruit whose seeds were planted. For it Ia "a
fact that the stock does affect the fruit borne
by the scion inserted in it. The sour apples
were not so sour as those grown ON Grabbed
stocks, and the sweet were more saccbarine
than some others of the same kind grown on
other trees Orchards of ungrafted trees rais-
ed from sweet apple seed, will be very likely to
PASooSo many Minus VI SOOu uaLlV6 IIull, Ine
following advice is good:
Let no man attempt to raise an orchard i'm
he is readyto give his trees that care he knows
to be requisite to produce crop of corn or
potatoes. The apple tree now must have care
in all its stages, from the planted seed to the
mature tree, yielding its ten barrels of fruit.
Now that We see and feel the necessity tor
renewed effort to restore the sad decline in our
orchard products, the inquiry arises: What OF
txrill ,N,NEs ,g.N
orchards The soil OF our State is considered
as "drift'-not being formed from the decay
or disirtegration of the underlying rock. Its
character is not judged from the nature of
that rock, which is rarely seen TO modify the
superintendent soil TO any considerable de-
gree. In the immediate valleys OF some of our
rivers, orchards have suffered more from hard
winters than those located on the hills
Whether this effect proceeds mostly from the
greater extremes OF temperature in such To-
calitios, or from the soil, is left III obscurity-
We find occasionally man succeeding in
growing apples Ia what APPEAR to be the most
nnfavorable localities. W 18th such facts before
US, we are at present forced to conclude that
there is but little land in the present settled
portion of the State that is not susceptible of
growing apples. Reference here TO successful
results in culture may be more appropriate
than extended theory, in the brief space al!ot-
ted to this article, beside being more 10 our
taste. seFA 6'
Mr. Chamberlain concludes his report with
the following timely and sensible remarks:
tFsSsrtgSpgatsy there sEe but s ebaT.
acter as in tho case above. Yet many orchards
have gone to early decay by reason OF ofexcessivs
wetness in the soil on winch they We're plant
ed. These cases occur as often on the most ell
evated sites as in the valleys.
In leaving the subjecE, we will add few
words on the form OF an apple tree. The prac-
tice has been TO trim them with trunk OF SIX
or eight feet. There are conveniences in this
method. The cultivation can be performed
more entirely with team. IL is very oonveu-
lent to shoulder q basket of apples under the
tree, with freedom TO carry it in any direc-
tion through the orchard. This form may still
do very well In locations sheltered from pre-
vailing winds. But as the country has become
more open and bleak, the stem OF tho tree
should be shortened We would Iather SEQ ir
only one foot long than five or seven. To al
low for this form, the trees should not be set
nearer than twenty-five feet. Tnirty-three or
forty would be better.
When trees become larger, and the hand la
Dor in their cultivation too troublesome, plat
of grass may be allowed to occupy the space
Immediately around the tree, and all the space
open TO the movement of o team cont .nued in
cultivation. The grass plat may be top-dress-
cd or mulched; but the fertilizers applied in the
cultivable area would be just where to most
benefit the trees.
1t would add to the value OF orchards, (as
we'll as to the value and beauty of homesteads,
and OF the country at large) to plant screens
on their northeriy side, half encirclina them.
tor such purpose, a mlxture OF evergreen and
deciduous trees would be best; selecting those
most valuable for timber, such as the pine,
hickory and oak. .E
We would advise the planting of the Siberi-
an Yellow Grab, as nursery stock for localities
where orchards have not succeeded. This is
an extremely hardy tree, takes firm hold OF
the soil with vastly more root than tho COM
mon apple. tits rapid grower when young
If it does not attain to so great size, we think
no harm will come from using it rs standard
to graft upon in the orchard.
TRAyT