Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-08

To the Editor Of The .Ssar,--we have had little
frost last week, but not enough 70 hurt the
peaches, except in bottom land, and there they
see that many have cut their trees back to the
very trunk, in the belief that the trees were
through bearing entirely. One orchard, in Its
very prime, trees healthy and In good shape,
came very near to its ruin this spring, through
such notion on the part of its owner. He had
not time to decapitate but few rows, and an.
other year will show him his mistake. Heading
IN is one thing; heading OF is quite another. The
one means life and productiveness-the other,
death and waste.
SETTING OFT TREES.
Many have asked me if it is too late to set out
trees yet. 1t is too late to set out an orchard
though am at work at that now; but 1t is not
too late to set out few trees if proper care is
taken to puddle the roots and mulch the sur
face. Cut off the ends of the roots till they
show plump and unbroken; dip them in thin
mud made up Of manure water; dig the holes
deep, and throw in an, old bouts and shoes and
bones that can be found; hold the tree in so
that it sets lower than in the nursery row, ex-
cept with apple and cherry trees, and ill in
with the surface earth, leaving the red or yellow
or white subsoil for the surface; then cover
not with manure, but with straw, bark, boards
The old fancy for large trees to set out is not
yet done away with. The other day heari n
neighbor complain of his small trees; "Little
were good; oh, yes" But those trees will not
be checked by transplanting. He has put a
little ashes on them and they will grow right
along. The same day / saw a wagon load Of
large trees in Washington / inquired where
they were from, and who for. They came from
Giliingbam Co. to COldweil s. King, surplus
UNFIT to send out to regular customers. And vet
many would think they were doing nice thing
in paying fifty cents or dollar apiece for them
because they were 30 large you know. Well, |
might take one or two and nurse it, and by cut
ting the top back pretty well make good tree
OF II and save years time, but / couldn't do
it with an orchard. III take the little trees if
you please.
WANTED, A GOOD SHOE.
The farmer for his spring and summer work
requires good shoe, and in this line there is vet
room for improvement. We have not yet the
perfect shoe. The champion, shoe was Of
fered to the farmer with a flourish of trumpets,
and now the manufacturers sing the praises of
"Cable Wire" The first is perhaps as easy, the
as the old army sewed shoe. The man who will
make an easy, honest, serviceable shoe that
Will keep out the dirt, and offer it at something
less that one hundred per cent. on the cost. will
make money and be benefact0r of his kind
PEAR BLIGHT.
Prevention is better than cure. And in the
matter Of pear blight it is the only resort.
Blight and the bOrer Is all the pear grower has
to fear. Keep ont the first by keeping the
ounce stock of the dwarfs well covered with
earth. Prevent the second by keeping the trees
in healthy condition First, do not plant in
wet place, and. secondly, unless in stony
subsoil, underdrain if possible. Manure in the
fan. DO not put any manure on now; it is too
late; little bone, ashes or lime if YOU will but
nothing to promote a heavy summer growth
This makes too much soft wood, and makes the
tree subject to the frozen sap blight. The
other, and perhaps the more common blight, is
that caused by a minute fungus, come say insect,
but IT does not matter y probably I'm midsummer.
This can be pretty effectually prevented by
mashs Of lime, soft soap, sulphur and carbOlic
acid. applied to the trunk and limbs with a
paint brush, which should be cleaned immedi-
ately after using. The wash is made of quart
OF lime, Stacked as for whitewash, to which is
added teacup full of strong soft soap, ounces
flour OF sulphur, and dr. carbolic acid pure, or
about DIR. crude. 1t should be applied i'm MAY
and July. 1t is well, too, to allow sprOuss on
the trunk on the south and east sides to grow as
high as the branches, if pruned in orchard style,
SO as to shade the trunk and prevent sun crack
One thing more, to keep the young trees in full
vigor, do not let the young trees bear heavily.
L do not know when have seen fruit trees So
profuse in bloom as now, and so apprehend
we will have increased labor in picking off the
surplus sets. April o. 1873.