The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-12
Digging Amongst the Roots of rrui, Trees.


!. Although we have made much progress
IN America-the Gardeners Monthlg ia
king the credit therefor-towards abandon
ing the old time notions about digging
amongst the fruit trees, it must not be sup
posed that other countries are not progress
ing as well. A correspond of the London
journal OF horticulture complaining that
MS frult trees don't bear, the editor thus
enllghtens him as to the causes thereof:
The above letter, just received, describes
IN forclble language the state of many gar
dens and individual fruit trees-trees and
plants growing luxuriantly, and bearing
little or no fruit. | believe, in the majority
of cases, keeping the land loose by digging
and forkng is the cause of failure.
Some years since, l was sent for by a
gentleman to inspect his peach trees, (stan-
dards planted out in border of his orchard
house,, which he told me always cast
their fruit. No trees could look better;
they were as clean and healthy as could be
wished. After asking his gardener all the
Tsestions | could think of as to the man
agssnent, and receiving satisfactory replies,
all at once thought of the soil, stamping
upon which with my heel found it almost
;as light as feather bed. ''IIow is this ?''
Il asked, knowing that the gardener had
,often been to see my trees, and that he
knew the borders had never been disturbed
since the houses were. "Oh," he said,
Mrs. - will have winter salads grown
here" "(iive my compliments then," /
replied, land say that she must not expect
peaches" The border was made solid and
kept SO, and there was full crop the next
season. The fact is not so easy Of explana-
ton as some people think, but fruit trees
like solid soil, not loose.
That digging amongst such plants as
raspberries and Strawberries must be q stu
pld practice is patent on the least consider
alton. Why manure piece Of land and
then destroy the roots seeking to occupy i?
When the roots have been mutilated. how
'can the plant be expected to bear drought
,or carry fruit ? saw at Berry Hill. near
a1ansfield, the other day, a large bed of
iautbois strawberries with as much fruit
rs any common variety might be expected
to carry, and this on light land. Other vari-
ties were loaded with the largest crop ever
saw in my life. asked Mr.. Cope, the gar
dener, how they had been managed. He
said as soon as the crop was gathered, all
weeds, runners and dead foliage has been
removed, and the ground between the rows
covered with a very thick dressing of ma
nure.
The rows had also been watered two or
three times with manure water. The
plants were then encouraged to make a
strong, healthy growth in the autumn.
The whole land was full of roots, and COW
ered, as the surface was with the remains
of the manure, the plants had not suffered
from want of rain, whilst Strawberries in /
the neighborhood, on better soil, which
had been dug in the winter, were burning
up. Ram the soil hard whilst dry when
potting vines, peaches, or any other fruit
Trees, keep fruit tree borders solid and
nmulched with manure, and there will be
lever failures in fruit culture. Gardeners
Monthly.