Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-03-02
Farm and Garden.

Pruning Old Apple TeeS.-A CORE
sponuent of the Rural New Yorker says:
One can scarcely find better time to
prune large trees than during the mild
weather in winter. But the manner
pursued by some persons in pruning old
apple trees appears to me quite absurd.
| have always supposed that the main
object in pruning such trees was to keep
up vigorous and healthy growth, but
how can this be done if all the young
and thrifty shoots are annually cut
away and none left but the old and en-
feebled heavy branches. This seems to
be the general practice, and | am only
surprised that these old apple trees live
as long as they do. When | want to
restore health to an old tree | cut away
as much of the old wood as it seems adj
visable, and leave that which is young
and healthy. One healthy young shoot
is worth dozen old branches for re-
storing health. After a branch has pro
luced fruit for dozen or more years it
is pretty sure to show signs of becoming
weak, and if the internal structure is
examined the annual deposit of wood
will be found very thin. AT the same
time new shoots will start out of these
old branches near their base, these are
usually termed sapshoots, and the al
most universal practice is to cut them
away entirely; but they are sure indl-
cations of teebleness in the branches
above. and if the trees are very old a
few of them should be encouraged and
the branches above them entirely cut
away OF course all large wounds made
by the removal of such branches should
be covered with wax or some similar
composition that will protect the ex.
posed wood and prevent decay. | know
this is somewhat radical method of
restoring old trees to health, but it is
eilectual, as | know from experience.
Look after tie Ctlims.-Many farmers
use the cellars under their dwellings as
place to stow their root crops, espe-
cially potatoes, beets, turnips, celery
and even cabbage, which is not root.
1t is convenient to do so where there is
no barn cellar or where these vegeta-
bles are not buried upon the premises.
But it is a practice not to be recon-
mended, except the best care is taken
to keep the cellar clean and well ven
tilated. Every day at about noon, when
the weather will admit of it, the outer
door should be opened for an hour or
so, and even when the weather is ex-
tremely cold the door should for that
length of time be partially opened.
The refuse Of the vegetables also should
be daily removed and not left to evolve
a deleterious gas as soon as the temper
ature shall rise sufficiently to act upon
it. The most danger is in the spring,
when the mildness of the weather out
side finds its way into the cellar, and
operates, if the cellar is not ventilated
freely, in producing decomposition in
some degree There is nothing that
tends more directly to produce tac
most deadly fevers than filthy cellars.
The poisonous gases permeate the whole
house. And yet how frequently do we
see cellars left untouched, with all their
heaps of vegetable refuse, until April
and even May! We hope this word of
warning will not fall on unwilling ears.
Fire Proof Fe,ce.-An exchange says
that fire proof fence can be made by
following these directions "Make a
wash of one part fine sand, and one
part wood ashes, well sifted, and three
parts lime ground up with oil, and mix
them well together. Apply this to the
fence with brush-the first thin, the
second thick. This adheres to the
boards or planks so strongly as to resist
either an iron tool or fire, and is, be-
sides, impenetrable by water"