Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-03-04

| L ney lEItu iiaIuy NdiiSticS lIOlu NUS
STA, from Norway, from Canada, and
seedlings by thousands. Once in
awhile they obtained variety that
was good in every respect. And now
after so many losses and such patient
waitings, the fact has been deter
mined that one dozen or more valua.
BILE varieties of the apple, two OF
the cherry, and two or more of the
plum, are adapted to our Northwest
ern soil and climate.
But, with the history and causes OF
all past failures and successes before
us, it is doubtful whether many
farmers will succeed in growing
fruit trees or not. Many of them
act as though they were determined
to be humbugged. They will buy a
poor, tender, dried and frozen East
ern tree from peddler for 80 to 35
cents; when they could get hardy,
vigorous tree and fresh from West
ern nursery for 25 cents. A nursery
man of good judgement, will not
injure his reputation, by propagat-
ing varieties of trees for sale, that
are not suitable for the climate and
soil of his customers. If o nursery
man understands his business
thoroughly, is honest and takes care
of his trees, trust his judgment in
the selection OF varieties rather than
your own. If he should cheat you,
let your neighbors know it, and pat
ronize him no more. ...
For an orchard, dry, deep, sub
stantial soil, between sandy and
clayey loan, and possessing among
its inorganic parts considerable
portion of lime, is best. AS gene
raj rule, soil should be selected
which will produce large crops of
good wheat. A damp, cold or heavy
soil, or one with much sand or gravel
in it, is not suitable for fruit trees.
Ground which is intended flor all
orchard should be thoroughly drained
and then stirred with plow as deeply
as possible, Drag often enough to
pulverize all clods and leave the soil
mellow. Then plow again so as to
form ridges by back-furrowing, on
which to plant your trees with a
dead furrow in the centre between
the rows to carry off surface water.
The first blowing of ground for an
orchard, should be done in the fall If
possible. Plant your trees as early
in the spring as the soil and weather
| will admit of it, and from three to
four inches deeper than they stood in
the nursery, with all roots spread
out in their natural position. Bring
the soil closely in contact with every
part of every root and press it down
firmly with the foot. Trees two or
three years old, when planted in an
orchard, will he more healthy, grow
more rapidly and bear full crops of
fruit as early as though they had
been four or five years old when
planted. Fruit trees should be
planted closely together on the prai-
ries, on account of the dryness of the
atmosphere. the extreme heat of the
sun in summer, and from the fact
that we have neither hills nor forests
to protect them from the Winds
When the distance between trees is
short, they will protect each other
A belt of soft maple or cottonwood
trees should be planted on the west,
the south and east sides fall orchards.
The benefits of protection will! be APP
| pearent to all who have noticed the
appearance of oaks. ETC., growing re.
mote frem other trees. Some fruit
growers cultivate potatoes, vines or q
small variety of corn between the
rows of young fruit trees. But il
would be much better to cultivate
an orchard well, without any other
crop, during May and June, and then
sow ten or twelve quarts of buck
wheat per acre, to shade the ground,
keep down weeds and cause the trees
to ripen all their wood Thoroughly be-
fore winter. The soil of an orchard
should be rich enough at all times tc
produce good crop of wheat. Cul
tivate an orchard from east to west
and from north to south, alternately
Let the pillow run shallow so as no
to disturb or injurs the roots and al
ways throw your burrows towards
the trees. BY continually throwing
the earth towards the trees, you, will
form q mound around them, which
will throw off surface water, and pre-
vent the roots and crown of eacl
tree from being injured by extreme
changes in the weather during win
ter. Form temporary mounC
around each tree with the spade in
autumn, until you shall have formed
a permanent one by cultivation
This temporary mound should be re
moved the next spring, when thu
trees begin to grow. All western
trees should be trained low. The
pruning knife should be used only t
shape the top, remove suckers, dis
eased limbs or limbs that cross anG
rub each other. "Would be" fruit
growers can not learn too soon, thai