Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-06
HOUSE. FARM AND GARDEN.

HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
How TO GET AN ORCHARD. After
selecting the ground for an orchard, go
to work and dig and haul all the stone
and stumps from it. Plough deep and
level the land off, and you are ready for
your fence. Put on a good, substantial
fence, that will not admit any creatures
only by the way of the gate or bars, and
suffer no cattle to enter the enclosure,
only for the purpose Of labor. This
fence built you will plough your ground
again, and harrow and work in manure
to your liking. Sow your ground and
seed down the same. Pick up all the
stones and sticks that lie on the top of
the ground, and take them away so that
il will leave a smooth surface.
Select the best trees you can find {;
those that are young, straight and sound.
When you take them up be careful and
do not break any of the roots, for they
have none to part with. When set they
want to be 80 near each other that they
will shade the ground well. When it is
necessary to cut limbs, cut them when
small Let the lower limbs be so high
from the ground that a tall man can
passed under them and not hit his beav-
er When you prune, be careful and let
no two limbs in the top chafe each 9TH
or: cut off one of the two.
Now for the management of the
ground. You must keep all ploughs and
hogs shouts out of the surface of the
ground of your orchard. | know most
every one says (and practises) plough
ing, sowing, moving and hauling crops
out Of their orchards but | say it is a
bad practice. Let the crop of grass go
back into the ground every year, and
that will keep the ground mellow and
rich, and will protect the roots of the
trees from the draughts of the season
and the cold chills of the fall and spring,
and also help to keep them warm, rug
ged and healthy. By SO doing, they
viii bear well and live long. You want
your ground in a condition that will
grow thirty or forty hundreds to the
acre. Just before you gather
your apples, you can cut the grass down
spread it, or you can roll it down, just
as you please, so that it will be smooth
to pick up your apples. If you think
more nutriment to the trees is wanted
you can haul and spread manure on the
ground, but do not allow the surface of
lOht OICilbiN SUI " bC UlOhCII vi All
crops to be taken from it.
If YOU should want a wash for your
trees at any time, first scrape the trunks,
and then put on fish oil. This is the
best wash that can be found.
Our orchards are all dying out, and
what is the cause? 1t is owing to their
treatment, as l have before said;
ploughing up and cutting off the roots,
exposing them to sudden, hard droughts
and severe froSts, and rObbing them of
nutriment which tends to impoverish
and disorder them, and brings on decay
and short life Feed and clothe the
trees well, aud keep them warm, and
you will do this by not breaking the sur
face of the soil or taking the foliage
away Maine Farmer.
VALUE OF FARM PRoDUCTs IN MAssA-
CHUsETTT AND OTHER STATEs.-COm-
pare the value of the important crops,
acre for acre, with the States famed for
fertility, and the balance is in our favor.
Hay, as an example, is a leading and
important crop throughout the northern
States, in some respects more valuable
than any other. Now the money value
of an average acre Of hay in Massachu-
sets in sears; in New York it is St6.
so; in Ohio, $3.50; in Pennsylvania,
$3.50; and in Illinois, S1330. If you
compare the value of the products of
hay, cattle, milk, butter and cheese,
acre for acre, the balance is in our favor
If we look ut the average yield per acre,
we shall find we stand in the front
rank; for the very reliable statistics of
1868 show that that year Illinois pro-
duced on the average $500 pounds per
acre; Massachusetts,, 1900; Pennsyl-
vania, 2, 400; Ohio, $500; and New
York, 1000. Turn now to grain, and
see how poor, poverty stricken Massa-
chusetts compares with her famed sisters
in their productions. Indian corn is our
great national crop. In 1869 the valme
Of this cereal produced by the whole
country was $655, 800 900. That year
we averaged more cora per acre than
any State in the union, excepting Ne
braska, Kansas and California. The
average worth Of an acre Of corn that
year. taking into account both the corn
and the fodder. was in Massachusetts,
$44 ; in Ohio, $18; in Missouri, SIS; in
Michigan, $1G so; in Wisconsin, $3.50;
in Kentucky, SIS; and in Illinois, $13.
co: in Kentucky, SIC; and in Illinois,
$3.50. The same facts exist in rela-
ton to the production of wheat. Ore
gon alone averages more wheat per acre
than Massachusetts, and Vermont is the
only State which produces an equal
amount. The money value to the farm
er of an average crop of wheat, includ-
ing grain and straw, is greater here than
in any other State in the uniOn.-PrQf.
Legi St0cb5rjdge.