Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-09-19
agricultural
Ram6les 4mong the Farmers.

9g-ReSHh--AntS - BOrerS-ReBledg-
Observation-Disclosures Sand
Ia .AppleS.
In proof that Tall oaks from little
acOrns groow,' we will tell the reader
what led Mr.. Phineas Whittier of Ches-
terville Hill, largely to go into orchard
ing.
Some % years ago we grated IN or
chard for him that had attained its me-
ridian. 1t was located on q moist, porous.
grayelly soil, not propitious to orchard.
ing. We said to him, 'you have an
abundance of mulching matter about you,
just pile it under your trees to any
amount"
He did even so. lie did not plow or
manure that orchard for % years. lie
put so much mulch under his trees that
the sward was killed, and the rotten
mulch lay in high heaps under his trees.
About s years ago we saw that orchard
in fruit time II was uttering piteous
complaint-groanins under the load of
fruit it had to support, or tumble to the
ground.
Mr.. Whittier receiving so great returns
from mulching, and having an amount Of
surplus mulch about him, determined to
60 into orcharding on the grand scale
He proceeded to set some r4O0 trees. He
has preached orcharding to his neighbors,
but 'there are none so deaf as those who
Will not hear" They said they were too
old and should die before fruitage. They
would not listen to his argument, that in
no other way could they enhance the
value Of their farm, and leave 4 lasting
legacy to their children.
lie has applied mulch to these young
trees plentifully. lie says mulch does
not draw mice unless there is seed in it.
Brakes have No seed, and they are Of
ienSive, Mice have gnawed when mulch
lay a short distance from the tree; but
not when it was piled close about it.
From abundant experience he holds,
firmly, the fact that on good orchard land
orchards may be successfully grown with
mulch alone. If the soil be lean, some
animal manure should be applied under
the mnlch. lie says. "mulch with any /
thing wooden, even Saw.dust."
Ants have Ii led two Of his trees where /
boyers have killed one. He has lost six
consecutive trees by them. We recon- I
mcnded live ashes, in quantity not TO kill |
the tree. There are numerous ant-hills /
on his grounds. We advised to open /
them with a spade and put in a peck of
live ashes. and then water and give them
a strong decoction OF ashes-yc--ior
constant drink. This We think would .
make them homesick.
Borers have troubled not badly but he /
has been after them with narrow knife /.
and fine wire. They lay their eggs
from June to September, and hatch soon.
Then they are easily found and destroy /.
ed. They have worked some where he /
has neglected 20 hunt them.
lie complains that his young Russet
trees have died. limb by limb. His land
is too high and dry for the Russet. This
is 4 trouble that apperlains 20 old Rus .
sets.
lie has one orchard OF 500 trees on land
never plowed. lie has muIched this, and
pastued with sheep. Il is u grand or
chard.
Mice have lost him some 80 trees. lie I
has tIoddeu down snow, which he con.
siders very good prevention. When his
trees have not been gnawed into the /
wood, he mas wrapped with clay and |
saved them.
He has from 500 TO 400 growing trees
which are very healthy and thrifty. Some
OF his trees are sun-scalded where they
lean TO the north and the trunks are not
protected from the sun. 1t is wrong
idea to plant tree leaning to the north /
lie has grown his own trees and does /
his own grating in the top. He grated
100 trees ut the ground, but would rs
soon cut them down Is to graft them at
this point. His great idea in grating is
to spread the top. lie thinks western
exposure. such As his, is preferable to al
eastern one. The trees grow healthier,
have less sun.scald and less yermin. He
says, stick in a tree wherever it will
grow. and in few years You will find
yourself = rich man. Tie says he could
not grow an orchard in halt the time
with half the loss. Verify, experience is
valuable.
A noted orchard man CONVEX sed with
Mr. Kicker, of the Kicker orchard, Tur.
ner, two hours on orcharding At the
close OF the conversation Mr.. Kicker paid
the compliment: There, if had had
this conversation with yo2 before enter
ed on orcharding. it would have been
worth $500 to me.
Mr.. Whittier has used sand in his APP
pies with success. His Russets keep per-
fectly fresh until June, and do not lose
their flavor. AT this season he sells them
for twice the price he could obtain in
April. He stands his barrels in The eel
lar, and sits in dry sand as he fills them.
But 10 return u his old orchard Some
three years ago, finding a large demand
for mulch on his young orchard. he plow-
IL -. Ii 40 NJ lnnnr-.l 1911 -.