Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-10-07
SeaSOnanle Hints.

|Fh N M 8# &A -
The fall is the proper season for prepar.
ing the soil for new orchards, vet q great
many persons put off this work until
spring, and then important work of vari-
Gus kinds presses so heavily that all minor
/ operations are suspended, and probably
postponed for another year This Is the
cause of so many fruit trees being planted
in soil which has not been suitably pre-.
pared for their reception, and of the neces-
sary consequence-unpr productive orchards.
1t is a useless expenditure OF labor and
money to deepen soil by trenching or sub
soil blowing if it is not naturally or artif-
cially drained, for healthy and produc-
tive orchard was never seen in land where
| the roots of the trees are surrounded with
stagnant water for considerable po:tion
of the year, and for the balance tied up in
| hard sun baked clods, or in mixture of
water or soil, frozen solid in winter. The
water produced by rain and melted snow
has very beneficial effect, when, after de-
posting its useful ingredients in the soil,
it descends, and gives place to fresh sup
ply, but when allowed to stagnate in the
SOIL it becomes destructive to all plants eX-
cept such as are aquatic in their habits and
thrive best in marshes and in other places
where the roots are partly or entirely
covered with water
There is generally more time in the fall
than in the spring for preparing the soil
for fruit trees and planting them out ; also
for making asparagus beds, and setting
out strawberries, rhubarb, etc. Every
thing that can be done in the fall should
be done in proper time, and in a suitable
manner. Some kinds of fruit trees may
be transplanted successfully in the fall, and
some do better when set out in the spring
The apple, pear, plum, and cherry gene
rally do well when set out early in the fall
as soon as the wood is ripe and the
leaves have faded or have commenced to
fall. Before planting, any leaves that re-
main should be stripped off, and struggling
roots pruned back. In taking up the
trees in the nursery the greatest care
should be taken to get all the roots with
as little injury as possible
If the trees are not planted in October
or early in November it will be better to
defer the work until spring, for trees set
out late in the fall do not become estab-
lished in the soil before winter and are liza
bic to be destroyed or damaged by frost
Peach trees and grape vines generally sue
coed best in this climate when set out in
the spring, but the soil should beprepared
for them in the fall, by drainage deep til
lage and the application of suitable ma
nures.
Weeds should not be permitted to grow
and rlpen their seeds on any part OF the
farm, hat especially in the orchard or gar
den. During the pressure ofharvest work
these intruders are sometimes overlooked
If the seeds are nearly ripe they viii ma
ture after the stems have been cut down,
and the surest method of destruction will
be to collect them into heaps and burn
them The ashes of weeds contain very
considerable amount of potash and on this
account make suitable manure for orchards
and gardens, as the wood, foliage and fruit
of the trees contain large percentage Of
this ingredient Western Rural.