The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-02
a Chapter on Apple Orchards.

Father Springer OF Muskingum Coun-
ty, Ohio, famous old orchardist, has re-
Gently written paper on this subject
from which we make The following ex-
tracts:
SETTING AND CULTIVATISG TREES.
First, as to setting trees. Trim to a
pole and top some siX'and half in
length. Dig your hole no deeper ithan
barely to receive the roots beneath the
surface. The object should be in any
soil to set your tree no deeper than is
necessary to make it stand. When the
roots start they will seek their appro-
pirate depth; in clay soil they will run
shallow, and in sandy and alluvial deep
er. The ground should be dry when
YOU set, and dirt placed i'll with your
fingers so as not to disarrange the roots
and after the hole is filled, tread gently
ON the top with your foot. Deep set
ting is very injurious to trees. In lSOe
the two first orchards were planted i'll
this neighborh0od They We're all
about half q milo apart and the soil
and exposure was as alike as could be
imagined. The other had no spade but
scratched his i'll with a corn hoe, and of
course put them in no deeper than to
make them stand. The latter grew
rapidly the first season; the other stood
for two years before they made any pros
porous growth. Aud they never were
as healthy as the shallow set trees. We
had occasion the same season to remove
three trees that had been planted the
season before into the new orchard.
They were set about foot in the
ground. At this depth the roots had
not sprOuted, but small roots were put
ting out from the body of the tree near
the surface of the ground. This explains
why the deep set trees grew slowly.
The new roots at the surface had to
gain strength before they could push
the tree forward. Some Of the book
men recommended to dig deep wide
hole, for your trees, and fill it with the
richest surface soil you can procure. If
your ground be clay, such as this cOun-
try mostly abOunds with, this rich loose
soil will invite the roots deeper than
they can prosper in the clay, so that
when they spread beyond this made soil
and strike the clay, there will be a check
10 their growth and prosperity.
Set your trees in dry soil, twenty-five
feet apart; in alluvial would set wider.
For some six or seven years tend them
as yOu would an onion bed. Cover the
ground with stable manure, putting
none within two feet of the tree; pillow
under and spread lime over. Tend
either in corn or potatoes. Repeat the
manuring every year for five or six
years then SOW in clover and plO no
more. If the ground wants manure
feed your hogs on il, or give top dress
ing. The ldctcalS Of hbrOus roots, in
clay soil. run within plow reach; so
that if you use that Instrument, after
these begin TO spread, yOu Will ruin
your orchard. Having paid some at
teution To this subject, it is Our opinion
that nine tenths of the older orchards
of Muskingum county are either ruined
or injured by blowing; the outer limbs
begins to die, and 50 proceed until the
tree becomes worthless. | have trees
now forty years old, hale and healthy,
producing good understandable fruit.
TRIMMING AND PRUNING TREES.
As to trimming, keep the suckers off
the roots and body aud let the rest go.
The first orchard Iplautcd was forty
years ago. then firmly believed in the
old doctrine, keep your trees well
trimmed aud you will have Il larger and
Superior favored fruit In view of this
idea, as was travelling away from home
l procured pruning Knife, and gave it
to the man who had charge of my or
chard, with decided instructions to at
tend to the pruning. The knife was
lost, and the trees left UutTimmed. By
the time got home So that | could at
tend to the matter myself, the trees
were SO large, and let them alone. But
ii came to pass, that | had the largest
and best favored fruit in the country
on those untrimmed trees. The people
were so pleased with il, that If had
the quantity could have mOnOpolized
the GAINESVILLE market. And | have as
certained, by testing it, that If acidlty
be the objection to the apple, rs the
Summer Jcncting or Rhode Island
Greeuing, it is decidedly the best tlaver-
ed grown in the shade. | have planted
several orchards since. but this expert
ment has Taught me 10 pay no attention
to anything but the suckers. As to the
smallncsS of my fruit have had no diff
ticulty with any ofnly customers as To
It's being understood.
These views about trimming | have
frequently published, bat the people
seemed slow To believe. But !attcriy,
however, have seen articles in favor
OF non-trimmiug Not long since | saw
q New York paper that had fonnd ont
There was something i'll the climate that
made trimming apple trees unnecessary.
! have no doubt that proper manuring
has more to do with the welfare of fruits
than anything else. Lime is great
Sweetencr aad improve of their flavor.
especially of peaches. \ few years aro
when | furnished the market with
peaches, our amateurs used to give mine
the preference for sweetness. 1t was
the lime that produced that effect.
Apples do well on my flat lands but
on rolling grounds | have found they
do better on an eastern slope or ex-
posture than any other. They bear
more regular and the fruit is more per-
feet.