The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-11-01
FARM AND GARDEN.

was first observed the extended growth
of new fungus or lichen on peach
trees, covering the fruit in ash-colored
blotches, and the ends of the growing
shoots in detached masses, spreading
from a cottony tuft of a growing germ.
The leaves on the affected part drop off
later in the season, and the end of the
shoot generally dries up. The growth
of the fruit is not apparently checked,
but the thin-skinned varieties, on ripen-
ing, get puckered-up, pocky, disgust
ing appearance. The earlier varieties
are most affected; the yellow, among
them the Crawford, not so much None
was noticed on the snow peach. The
present year the disease has appeared
in an extended circle, and is causing a
greater injury to the fruit. l-. ,.
1t is not pretended to assign a cause
for this anomalous growth, beyond that
the peculiar atmospheric condition was
favorable to itsrapid development. The
trees may have been also depleted of
vitality, or this having been an unpro-
pitious year for the "curled peach-leaf,"
the superabundant sap found new
parasitic consumer. But it can be rea-
sonably hoped, that some of the usual
means employed for the destruction of
kindred growths, will be serviceable in
this case That the disease will GER
tainly spread to all parts of California
can be fully apprehended. The losses
| thus incurred would be severe to horti-
culturists Thus it is of Importance
that every experience should be brought
to public knowledge, and every means
of determination at once tried. The
burning of the pruned of-shoots should
be rigidly followed; the ground around
the trees scraped and lined, and the
whole orchard repeatedly fumigated,
early in spring, in favorable weather,
by keeping up numerous smoldering
fires of spent tanbark, Or damp straw
mixed with asphaltum or coal tar
These are the most available means for
the destruction not only of varieties of
mildew, but also of innumerable nox-
ious insects.-Cdl. Rorticuhmist
WATERING NEwLY-PLANTED TREES.
Very many who plant trees suppose
that they must be watered at regular
intervals. There could be no more er-
roneous supposition. The trees should
be set with care, watered if the ground
be dry, and the roots be carefully COW
cred and the earth pressed carefully
around them; then, after the water has
entirely settled away, the ground should
be carefully leveled up and the surface
thoroughly mulched. There is nothing
! further to be done, so far as watering is
concerned.
There is only one practice in trans
planting trees which is more pernicious
than periodical watering-and that is.
cutting the trees to bare pole at trans
planting. More trees are irreparably
injured by this severe cutting than by
even the practice of setting intact as
to the top and mutilation by the roots,
for if the tree have plenty of buds to
form leaves the roots will Immediately
follow, but if the top be so severely cut
as to present but few leaves, the root
growth will be correspondingly weak
ened. And if the leaf surface be en-
tirely destroyed, the tree must of ne
cessity die.
The principal difficulty in watering
is, that enough water is not given at
one time, for by the process of watering
superfcially the moisture does not reach
the roots at all, or if it does, only to
such degree as to induce the root
growth to develop itself near the sur
face. This being done, and drouths in
tervening in July and August, the tree
suffers or perhaps perishes outright; or
if it do not, and, under the influence of
a moist season and the fall and succeed
ing rains, this superficial growth be
continued, the tree, if it live, suffers
the succeeding season, and is perma-
nently checked, if it do not eventually
succumb to these untoward conditions
Therefore, when you plant trees of
whatsoever kind, first proceed to re-cut
all ragged or ill-cut roots. Then set
the trees in good fresh earth without
manure, unless the earth be poor, in
which case only thoroughly decomposed
manure, or, better, compost should be
allowed to come in contact with the
roots. In planting set the tree but lit
tie if any deeper than it originally
stood. Spread the roots and pack the
soil firmly around them, fill IN the earth
until the roots are so well covered that
trampling will not injure the fibres;
then, if the soil be dry, pour pailful
of water around the roots if the tree
be of good size, with smaller quantity
for smaller trees. Mulch the surface
for space of at least two feet beyond
the circumference of the hole dug for
the roots, and in nine cases out of ten
nothing more need be done to secure
success, unless it be to stake the tree
to prevent is being blown by the winds
incident to every prairie country Vest
ern Rural.
| A WRINKLE ABOUT THE AGE OF
HoRsEs.-A short time ago we met a
gentleman from Illinois who gave us a
piece of information in regard to ascer-
tanning the age of horses after he or
she has passed the ninth year, which
was new tous, and will be, we are sure,
to most of our readers. 1t is this: AT
ter the horse is nine years old, wrinkle
i IL o..ol.I 4lo,