The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-04-26
Farm and Garden.

The Pecan Tlee.-Hs Vaiue and Hon
Groon.-V. p. Richmond, OF Madison
county, ILL.,, writes 10 an Eastern paper
in regard TO this tree and its fruit:
at will grow in any soil where white
hickory, butternut or pignut will grow,
but it is a native of rich, alluvial soils,
such as the river bottoms of the Missis.
sippi, Missouri and Illinois. The point
of land between the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers grows very fine speci-
mems, some fifty and sixty feet TO the
limbs. Its general appearance very
much resembles the white hickory in
leaf, wood and bark, excepting the bark
is thicker and softer. have seen half
of trunks of forty feet in length with no
perceptible wind. The wood is good for
any purpose where the hickory can be
used. 1t is found growing on the Hi
nois river above Peoria.
81 have trees growing on my farm
from the nuts. ! planted the nuts in
the early part of winter, some two
inches deep, in light, rich soil. / think
all came up about midsummer. Think
ing there might be a tap root, as in
hickory, | passed sharp spade under
each root about six inches from the
crown. When one year old, ! set out
four trees-all grew; three finely, one
met with an accident and gave away
number of (which | can give no account.
Two remained in the bed. Those re-
moved have made more than double
the growth of those remaining in the
bed, which | attribute to the difference
in soil. The bed was where the clay
was only few inches from the surface,
nd whe re the trees were set the black
soil was over two feet deep. The nuts
were planted in lS47, the first fruited
| four years ago. They will vary in COM
ing into bearing about FIVE years, owing
to location and depth of soil, some be-
ginning in fifteen years growth.
/" think the pecan may be grown in
any latitude where the chestnut will
grow, but not on the same soil. 1t is a
beautiful tree, grows very straight, up
right and symmetrical, and | would
| advise planting as an ornamental tree.
From my experience, | think they bear
transplanting better than the chestnut,
and as well as any nut-bearing tree. |
presume it is necessary to plant seed Of
the present years growths."
Sucking Colcs.-A correspondent Of
| the Prairie Farmer gives the following
as preventive of COWS sucking them
| selves
Take hickory stick, eight or ten
inches long, make it round, white the
ends 10 a sharp point, have it five.
eighths or three-fourths thick in the
center when done. Then cut groove
around the center one-balf inch wide,
and about half the depth of the stick.
| Now throw your cow down, put your
foot on one horn, turn up her nose, take
a narrow.bladed knife and stick il right
through the gristle of the nose Fright in
the very place where you put the bulls
ring,) noE crowd the stick into the
| hole until the grstle settles firmly in
the groove, and your wOrh is done. II
is not twenty minutes work, and | will
warrant that she will never milk her.
self again. have seen at least as many
as fifty served in that way, and never
knew one 10 do the like after the stick
was put in. | had COW that wore one
five years, and did not milk hersel
during that time. At the end of tha
time il rotted out, and she never at
tempted it again. Try it.
Wood AShes.--The way to test wooC
ashes is to apply them to such crop
that are grown, leaving strips that ar,
not dressed for comparison. The crop
most likely TO be benefited by a dress
ing of ashes are corn, potatoes and clio
yer; they may also be benefit 20 al
old orchard. From three TO five bushels
per acre makes very fair dressing
though some apply n good deal more
Ashes are Of much the most benefit OF
sandy and sandy loan soils clay land
usually contain more potash and O
course are less benefited by ashes
What their actual value will be on
given piece of land can only be ascel
tanned by repeated experiments, am
then much will depend upon the qualit
of the ashes-there being considerabl
difference in those from different kind
of wood. Hence it can only he state
in general terms, that on all the lighte
soils ashes can be used 10 good advar
tage: and that there is little doubt thu
they often pay dollar or more bushC
when applied to corn on such land.