Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-03-11
From the Western Rural.
Notes and Suggestions for March.
THE ORCHARD.

edges and insert them under the bark
above and below the wounds, and
then cover the wounds and cions
with bandage, to keep both from
drying up. In this way many trees,
which were seriously damaged by
mice, have been saved from destruc-
ton. 1t may be worth remembering
that several fruit growers say they
have saved girdled trees by merely
making small mound Of earth
around the trunk high enough to
cover the wounded part and keep it
moist while the bark is closing over
it. Wounds on the bark made by
rabbits or by the breaking off of
branches should be pared smooth,
painted over with solution Of gum
shellac, and bandaged until the new
bark covers them.
HINTS ON TRANSMITTING FRUIT
A great deal of damage to the roots
of fruit is generally done in the digg-
ing of the plants from the nursery.
We see numerous suggestions about
the importance of taking up trees
without damaging the roots, but the
question is, how Is this to be done
when the trees are crowded in the
rows? 1t is common error with
nurserymen to crowd the trees with
out any seeming regard to the necess-
ity of providing room for the roots
and branches to develop themselves
properly. If buyers would insist on
getting trees well furnished with roots
and branches, nursery men would con-
trive to give more space to their
plants. A great deal Of discussion
takes place every year about the
comparative merits OF Fall and Spring
planting, but very little is said about
the errors that may be committed in
setting out trees in either season.
Late planting in ore season is as bad
as in the other. The soil is warm
early in the Fall, while the atmosp-
here is cool. In the Spring the soil
is cold and the atmosphere is warm.
A mound of earth around the roots
in the Fall will retain the warmth i'll
the soil in the Spring it will keep
it cool. Fall planted trees do not
lose much moisture by evaporation
during Winter. Spring planted lose
a great deal before the roots have
taken hold of the soil.
,,-.cYyr.c 1,nD 1,pI-JT TrEES
Twice year, at least, every fruit
tree in the orchard should be washed
with some liquid, strong enough to
destroy the eggs and pupa of insects
and the roots and spores of moses
and fungi. In using caustic lye for
the destruction of bark lice, several
persons have killed their trees, as
sometimes the bark turns black and
peels off after the application Of this
wash, and the death of tie tree
follows. Lime whitewash is recon-
mended by some persons, but it is
unsigh,ly and is disapproved of by
the most experienced fruit growers;
soap suds are harmless, but are too
mild for the purposes for which the
application is required. The most
suitable wash is solution of com
mon sal soda in the proportion of one
pound of soda to gallon of water.
Rain water is the best for this pur-
pose. This wash will not injur the
bark, but will Kill the eggs or pupe
of insects, and will clear away MOSES
etc. II will remove dead bark and
produce healthy surface.
WORK TO BE DONE.
Preparations should be made for
planting new orchards or renovating
old ones. The drainage of orchards
and gardens should not be neglected.
In this matter, as well as in many
Others, "a stitch in time saves nine"
1t is much easier to drain the soil of
an orchard or garden before the trees
are planted, or when they are small,
than after they have become large
and reticulation of roots extends
through every part of the soil ready
to fill up and choke the drains. When
land for an orchard is Thoroughly
drai.,ed before the trees are planted
and the trees are set out in the cen
tiers of the spaces between the drains,
many years will elapse before the
roots reach and choke the drains.
Draining, pruning, fencing, manur-.
ing, scraping and washing the trunks
and branches, destroying the eggs of
insects, and procuring cions for graft
ing, are among the operations which
may by performed in March.
THE CANKER-woRM.
In all places where the canker worm
has become established, extraordinary
precautions will be necessary, in
order to save the apple crop from de-
struc,ion. If the foliage is destroyed,
the fruit will not fill or ripen. This
pest of the orchard did not commit
very serious ravages last year, por-
badly because the season was untav-
orble for bringing the larva into be-
ing, or perhaps from the exer,ions
which have been made to prevent
the female moths from depositing
their eggs on the branches. Tree
protectors of various kinds have been
brought into requisition for this pur-
pose, and that some of them have
been successful, there can be no
doubt. There is no time to be lost
in applying them to the trees, for the
canker-w worm moths come out of the
ground very early in Spring, and
sometimes during warm, sunny days
in Winter. Poultry should be kept
in the orchard as much as possible,
as they exterlninate all insects that
they find on or near the surface Of
the ground.
FARMERS GARDENS.
Very few farmers have well arrang-
ed, Or well stocked gardens. The
greater number Of them are conten-
ted with patches of currants aud
goosebcrries, raspberries and black
berries, and it may be, small patch