Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-14
Moderation I'm Fruit Culture.

In order to succeed in fruit culture we must
avoid the extremes. These extremes are large
crops, great growth of wood, severe pruning,
&c.
Nature in her domain Is moderate; she never
deviates from this. There is variety, such as the
soil, climate, &c, produces; but mainly there is
do the same. II we do not, we must pay the
penalty. We see what that is Is is deteri-
Grafton of our fruit trees generally, producing
brought about principally by cultivation, by our
doing, or neglect of doing. There is little rot,
little mildew, little blight and little harm gem
orally in the parent stock whence we get our
Why then do we not follow after nature? Sim
ply because nature, in her wild state, does not
give US q suffciency. There is not the flavor,
in wild fruit We therefore improve, that is,
we bring nature to our aid, rather than aid her.
We cannot aid her; we can only follow in her
tn s s sh
and this Is an advantage. We can thus improve
our quantity and quality OF fruit, but at an ex-
pense, nthe end of all these. So we must go back
TO the old standard again. Yet, sometime, by per-
sistence, We can, 1t seems, even divert nature
from her established course. Thus the vine in
Europe will bear closer pruning than with us.
IL is dccustcmed to tt; ours Is not. From time i'm
memorial the thing has been done in Europe,
until the vine has acquired the nature OF the
thing, 80 to speak, IL Is natural now to be pruned
But that other great point, 30 much aimed at,
secured, though there is sufficient fruit for
moderate success. Perhaps this can be raised; it
probably can; but IL Is not now the case, and we
must take matters as we find them; we want
them for immediate use. We cannot wait a CEN
fury or two or three.
We must therefore expect to take up with
moderate profits; moderate, yet sufficient to
remunerate, to "pay," and then only in regular
yearly crops. But this, we are glad to say, is
the prospect; moderate bearing is permanent
bearing. This should always be borne in mind,
but 1t is not; we are constantly aiming at big
crops. Big crops are usually alternate crops;
moderate crops may be made annual. This
division (of the CROP also favors health and per-
petuity OF good qualities. III we therefore can be
content with moderate gains, we are all safe.
There wants to be medium soil with excep-
tions-these exceptions often the consequence of
culture;) medium distance planted apart,
avoiding the extremes; pruning moderately and
extent on the trellis, which means space to a
considerable extent, in comparison with our
aping after European culture.
Rank manures are therefore to be avoided the
orchard and the vineyard, originally, are unac-
custOmed to it. They provide their own food,
like begetting like. The foliage and debris are
readily changed and reformed, and thus will
continue to do forever. We have in our own
practice, found leaves and other vegetable mat
ter sufficient, growing good crops of healthy
fruit and wood, and continuing the same. All
the elements necessary are present. As nature
has her fires, so she uses also ashes. They are a
benefit to fruit generally, ii not applied as de-
triment, TOO abundantly, causing an unnatural,
unbalanced growth, as is the case with organic
matter also and to still greater extent.
Let there be fair working soil, with the
natural aliment of the fruit, its own refuse, and
1t will get, with its feet in the mineral bed, all
the volatile alimentits wants from the air. Bat
we can use some variety in our treatment.
Nature has this, In her many soils and climates.
And this is experience. A little phosphate for
the seed may be added; lime to correct-there are
many lime soils, so that this is natural treat
ment; we know it is good one, though not a
chief one.. And clay, this is also the habit OF
tree; We know that it is good, that it produces
quality, flavor, &c. But it will do this better il
1t is disseminated and pulverized, and not a
harsh, rigid impenetrable soil.
The great quality, however, which underlies
all others, has not yet been mentioned. This is
understanding. dry, yet sufficiently moist and
permanently moist, not wet SOIL is of all thng Is
the great need. We are awakening to this fact,
but it is not yet established among us; has
not yet entered into the popular practice. Even
those who have q controlling influence are often
passive If not opposed to the practice. The ex-
ample Of England seems not to be suff cent;
our own example is dsregarded too much. We
have much to learn here, and in a vital point.
We have experimental some-we have observed
on this subject. All the evidence goes to favor
it-favor 1t even In our apparently dry, yet not
thoroughly drained soil. Health is the first
requisite in fruit growing. This is promoted by
drainage, we are persuaded, to great degree.
wood and of fruit Tsis we sec In Vines planted ed
drains the soil. Here is depth and uninterrupted
drainage. In village or city where many cell
lars occur, and In close proximity, we find often
the best of success. These amateur vines as
they are called, are always, or in the MAN, SUI
perior in success to field culture. We have a
vine now Of this description, located near a
cellar, with ditch four feet in depth on oppo-
site sides, which outstrips by more than half all
the other vines differently situated. A single
drain Tor CELLAR may not be sufficient in all
cases, as sometimes outside sources of water may
have an effect, the pitch of ground, &c.-Cou,a-
try Gentleman.