The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-04-24

machine, almost ~ easily aud as quick.
y % Capt. Bragg mskesa part of'ya..
G,'l'erq. Ba. be who tries this sort sot
fancy work in the bright sunshine Of
the United States, will fud that it is
like undertaking to besiege Gibraltar
with Gross. bows. The trees start into
leaf, and all promises we'll but unless
under very favorable circumstances,
the leaves beggar the roots, by their
demands for more SAL, before August is
half over. ..l> >. I
We mean to be undertook there.
fore, that 10 think it safest in prac.
tioe, in this part Of the: world, when
you are about to plant tree deprived
OF part Of its roots, to reduce the
branches : lit.ls bslow thi. same pro
portion. To reduce them to precisely
au equal proportion, would preserve the
balance, if the ground about the roots
could be kept uniformly moist. But,
With the chances of its becoming par.
TALLY dry at times, you must guard
asaiust the leaves Tagging, by dimiu.
lshiug their humber at the FIRST start.
AZ every leaf and branch, made after
growth fairly commences, will be &C.
comp,nied simultaneously by new roots,
the same will then be provided tor as a
matter of course.
The neasest way Of reducing the top
OF tree, in order not to destroy it's
"atu'al symmetry is to shorten.6ack
the young growth Of the previous sea-
500. We know a most successful plant.
ar who always, under all ciroumstanc.
ss, ahorteas.baok the previous years
wood, on trsnsp'sn.ing, to one bud !;
that is, he cuts off the whole summers
growth down to good plump bud, just
above the previous years wood. But
this is not always necessary. A few
inches (where the growth has been a
foot or more) will usually be all that is
necessary. 1t only necessary to watch
the growth Of transplantsd tree,
treated in this way. With ono of the
same kind unpruned; to compare the
clean, vigorous uew shoots, that will
DO made the 6rst season by the former,
with the slender and feeble ones of the
latter, to be perfectly convinced Of the
value Of the practice Of shortening:in
trausplauted trees.
The usoessisy Of proper supply Of
food for trees, is = point that We should
DOT have to insist upon, if starving
trees had the power Of crying out, like
starving pigs. Upluckily, they have
not ADD, therefore, iuhu man aud ig-
oorant cultlvators will feed their cattle,
and let their orchards starve to death.
Now it 10 perfectly demenstrsble, to
man who has tho use of bis eyes, that
tree Gao b. fatted to repletioo, that
it may be made to grow thrifty and
we'll, or that it may be absolutely
starved to death, as certainly as Berk-
shire. 1t is DOT enough (unless a man
has rich bottom lands) to plant = tree
in order TO have q satisfactory growth,
and a speedy qualification IN its fruit
and foliage. You must provide a suo.
ply of food tor 1t at the outset, and re-
new it as often as necessary during its
lifetime. He who does this, will have
Eve times the profit and ten times the
satisfaction OF the careless and sluggish
mao, who grudges the labor and OK.
pen'e Of a little extra feeding for the
roots. The cheapest aud best food for
fruit trees. with most farmers, is a mix
ture OF swamp muck aud stable manure,
shich has laii for soma two or three
months together. The best ma pure,
perhaps, is the same muck, or black
peat, reduced to 90 active state With
wood ashes. A wheelharrow lead of
this compost, mixed with the soil, for
each suail trausplan'ed tree, will give
1t supply Of food that will produce a
growth Of leaf aud young wood that
will do ones heart good to look upon.
Any we'll decomposed animal manure
may be freely used in planting trees;
always thoroughly incorporating it With
the whole Of the soil that has been stir
red, and not throwing it directly about
the roots.
There, are, however, some inprovi.
dent men who will plant trees without
h'ving any food at hand, except ma.
"ure in crude state. "What shall We
Do, the7 ask, "wheo We have onlp
fresh stable man ure 2" Perhaps we
ought to soswtr-"wait till you have
something BETTER But siuoe they
will do something 1t snce, or not at all,
We must give them a reply ; aud this Is,
make your hole'twice as large and twice
as deep as you would It you had suit.
able compost. Then bury part Of the
fresh manure below the depth where
the roots will at first be, mixing it With
the soil, treadiDg the whole down we'll
to prevent settling, and covering the
whole With three inches of earth, upon
which to plaot tho tree. Mix the rest
with the soil, ADD put il At the sides of
tho hole, keeping the manure both at
the sides and bottom, far enough away,
that the roots of the"tree shall not reach
E. MI