The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-15
Wasting the Growth Of Plants.

a LAND owner VINO was extremely
sensitive of any Entertainments on MS
boundaries by his neighbors, an who was
ready to defend a strip Of land half foot
wide, by resorting to law, permitted en-
croachments, a hundred fold greater,
from a vast throng,of weeds. Some of his
fields were so encountered with them that
st least half the strength of the soil went
to sustain them, when it should have gone
to the growth of the crop. These weeds
were uniformly allowed to go to seed, and
thus to perpetuate themselves. He was
always ready to contend vigorously with
the grain buyer Tor another penny on the
bushel, while his grain was reduced one
half in quantity, and rendered scarcely
marketable in quality, by these intruders.
More frequently cultivators Of the soil
lose largely in other ways They eradicate
weeds, but too late for the crop to get the
full benefit of the cultivation. a root
crop, for example, has been planted, bat
q serious check is given at the start-at
the time when such check proves
serious dctriment-by allowing the weeds
to overshadow it for time 4 million
worthless plants have drawn on the soil,
at the expense of the growing crop.
This wastefcl process, in different mOdi
fications, is constantly going on in nearly
every owners grounds. IL takes place liz
the nursery, in the orchard, and in the
vineyard. The cultivator of the FOOT crop,
to succeed perfectly, must eradicate all
weeds at the moment they first see the
light; in the same way, ali useless growth
IL every tree and shrub must be prevented
by pruning before the bulbs begin to swell.
Ii q tree is distorted, no harm is done by
shaping it while III dormant state; but
large loss occurs if the growing shoots
and ioliage are cut away. The strength
OF the soil and Of the trees is wasted or
exhausted to an extent equal to this lop-
ping. There may be a lew cases where
IN rich soil the growth is too rampant,
and.it may be thus checked But far
more frequently the tree is not sufficient
~ vigorous, and has nothing to spare.
The came remark applies to the vine, the
pruning of which must be done while
the leaves arc of, or the supera bundant
shoots removed early in the ST Jason while
but few inches long at the utmost
When they become larger and longer, il
they are in two thick mass, taking out
part becomes q choice of evils, and
some check in vigor and constitution may
be better than crowded state Of fOlisge
and g poor, half ripened crop. Pinching
off the tips of growing shoots is not oh
jectioDable, and often needful In shaping
and guiding the growth.
Ii the cultivator wishes to suppress
vegetable growth, he may do so by cut
ting off the growing leaves; and this is
the reason that moving thc Canada this
tie and other weeds just IS the flowers
are forming, or cutting up troublesome
i hue IL In tot
so successful in retarding or destroying
them. The same result, often TO a fata
extent, occurs when the inexperienced
nurseryman, who has omitted the WORK
at the proper time, cuts back to the low
inserted bud, young cherry or pear stocks
after they have begun TO expand thei
leaves.
The rule is sinple-to waste growth
cut away when too late; to ecsnOmize it
direct IL in time. The growth of garden
crops is wasted, when too thick, or envel
oped in weeds, so that the needless plant
or the weeds have to be thrown ava!
after they have made progress. They I'll
minish the remaining plants, and hav
wasted their own vigor, IN the same way
that needless branches on the fruit tree
or too many shoots on the grape, have d
minished the remainder OF the growth
Cut them away before the movement O
vegetation in the spring, and true econo
my will be subserved ; but thinned on
later a serious loss will result.
We have endeavored brief explains
ton OF the principle which should contrO
successful operations, because there
much erroneous theory as well as practic
existing in relation to the subject.-C0un
trg Gentleman.