The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-13
HIRREI,s GOLDEN BITTERs,
should Orchard. be sheltered 2

Sometimes Agricultural Boards" and
Farmers Institutes" are much put to
for topics on which to "spread" them
selves before the public, for their SAY
inps and doings" are duly reported for
the instruction and guidance of farm
ers. Oae of the last topics introduced
or secrets discovered is that orchards,
to make them productive, must be shell
tered ON at least two sides from the cold
blasts of winter, and the "BOard" talks
learnedly as to the advantages of the
proposition. This shelter is to consist
of hedges and evergreen trees. Even so
experienced journal as the HOr'icut-
turist seems to have caught up the sug-
gestion and favors it.
The whole thing, in our Judgment, Is
fallacy. Instead of proving advanta-
geous to an orchard, we believe hedge,
or protection of any kind, would be a
positive injury. Planting apple orch
ards in valleys and southern exposures
will not a rule be as healthy or yield
crops ut all to be compared to orchards
planted in elevated positions, open to
the wind from every quarter. Indeed,
if we were about to set out an orchard
to-day, we would select high northern
exposure. All our experience and OBJ
servatiOn go to show such a position to
be the best.
As we finished writing the foregoing,
our eye fell upon an article in the Maine
Farmer, communicated nv farmer who
signs himself J. H. S., at Vassalborough,
in that State, under date of the 18th of
February, in which he touches on tkis
very question and practically bears out
what we have Just asserted. We copy
portion of his article, in which he
says:
sit is Il well-known fact that orchards
thus situated witbstOOd the severe win
tiers of 1850 and 1857 far better than
those that were situated in valleys; es-
pecially was this noticeable in the Bald
win, where in some screened and sunny
locations it was killed outright, but on
high ridges aud even where exposed it
withstood the rigors of those severe win
tiers. The summer of 1865, as every one
knows, was u very poor season for ap-
pies. The previous winter was very fa-
vorable for the trees, but late in the
spring we had severe frost which in a
great many instances destroyed the fruit
buds. That was particularly noticeable
"hCIC buO JACCo "OiO phOSCSbOb
and in low and warm situations. But
on ground that was very elevated and
extremely exposed (Which served to
keep them back) good crops of apples
were RAISED. Were l about to plant
an orchard and had two locations, one
valley surrounded by hills except on
the south side, the other o high eleva-
ton and even exposed to the westerly
winds, would choose the latter in pre-
ference to the former.
This we think will be found to be the
experience Of nearly all Observing ap'
ple.growers, and we trust it will be a
warning to those who are about to SET
out young orchards. There are writers
who have no practical knowledge OF
either agriculture or horticulture, who
are constantly taking upon themselves
the delicate, task of teaching others
their own impracticable theories and err
rors with an assurance that is remark
able, and whenever they can get foot.
hold necessarily damaging.-Germda,
toWR Telegraph,