River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-04-21
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Cultivation orthe Apple.

manure and cultivated deeply. The
trees from the nursery should be care
fully taken up in the spring and not al
lowed to freeze or dry, but kept in a
moist condition by packing the roots in
moss II carried some distance to be set.
Trees have larger roots grown in sandy
SOIL than In clay soil. Good, healthy
trees two or three years old will do to
set out III the orchard from thenursery.
When set the roots should be trimmed
with sharp knife of surplus roots, not
too much, and wet in water and planted
about two inches deeper than when in
thenursery, the earth well and closely
trees grew rapidly on loan soil.
CULTIVATION.
The young orchard is generally cul.
tivated till it is eight years old with
crops of corn, wheat, barley or potatoes,
but the pillow is not allowed to come
nearer the tree than three feet and that
lightly, when near the tree. After cul-
tivating the orchard eight years and
manuring with old manure, level the
ground by narrowing, and not seeding
down with any other grass than orchard
grass and if seeded ut all let it be done
very thinly, as a stiff sod of grass pre-
vents the rain from penetrating the soil
to the roots of the trees. There are
two sets of roots to the apple tree: one
set is called the carrot root. which 90
downward, and the other roots, called
the feeding roots, branch outward from
near the surface of the soil as deeply
as the earth is warmed by the sun.
Hence the feeding root should not be
disturbed by the pillow, or the tree will
not fruit well. Narrowing the orchard
and mulching with decayed vegetable
mold from the wood lot or auckland. is
better than manure, as green manure
produces insects.
PRUNING OR TRIMMING OF THE ORCHARD
The trimming process should be done
with great care TO form a rather low.
convenient, round, Widespread top to
the tree, as the atmosphere has more to
do with the orchard and fruit than
most people imagine. Hence the light
should have free access to the tree.
After setting the tree trim it with the
above view. After which, in the
spring, when the buds start where not
wanted, rub them Off This aids the
growth of the tree, as the calculations
are directed to the formation of the
tree as desired, and prevents the neces-
sity of pruning large limbs. If large
limbs are to be pruned off it should be
done in April, and the wound coated
over with wax.
The natural bearing life of the apple
tree Is from ten to forty years with pro-
fit, but the tree well cared for will bear
longer. The apples from old trees are
smaller but better keepers.
FENCING.
The orchard should be well fenced
and no heavy stock, horses or cattle. be
allowed access, as they brouse off the
limbs and tread the earth too hard ON
the feeding roots. Swine may be al
lowed in the orchard to pick up, the
early fallen fruit, toprevent the insects,
which spring from decayed fruit. Hens,
also, are good to destroy the insects
The cut worms should be kept from the
trees. CThis subject of itself requires
an entire article.) In one of my or
chards the soil is loan, and. after
blowing and cropping, and manuring
eight years, it was not seeded down,
Notwithstanding the grass came in
naturally and it has been in good bear
ing and OF a very thrifty growth.
LOCATION or THE ORCHARD.
A northern slope is generally the
best, as the heat of the spring sun does
not fall 50 strongly upon it as on the
southern slope The leeward of a
wood lot, or wind breaker of ever
green, is very useful in the production
of the orchard.
VARIETIES or FRUIT.
Winter fruit yields the most profit,
among which the Canada or Steel Red,
for dessert. In the spring, and later,
the Baldwin is called for cooking, and
is prolific bearer, and the Rhode Is
land Greening, the Golden Russell and
the Roxbury Russet. The Wagener is
held by some in high estimation.
These are enough for an orchard The
Northern spy is a slow bearer and not
so perfect an apple, very good, but not
profitable with me- The tree grows
very thrifty, and, if planted at all, may
be set around the orchard very thick,
for wind-breakers, and will afford some
fruit. But generally, among the most
of orchards, there are too many varieties
grown with little or no profit. No one
need fear of over doing the business in
growing apple orchards in Michigan, as
the soil and climate are highly favor
able. My purpose is to set one thou
sand apple trees this spring in rowstwo