The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-21

PRUNING AND TRAINING FRUIT TREES.
Our most successful pomologists
agree that standard tree, In an or
chard, should have five or six feet of a
clean, straight stem. Straightness can
be perfectly obtained by keeping the
Young tree tied to stake until 1T has
ACQUIRED strength and frmness enough
to support itself In straight position.
All shoots proceeding from the stem,
below the first tier of branches forming
the head, should be rubbed off with the
hand while tender, al if allowed to
grow. they retard the development OF
the head and impair the form and habit
of the tree. In forming the head OF
Young standard, a vigorous uprlght
root should be secured for leader,
and three or four othe6s of the most
vigorous to form branches or eoughs'
A iaxness of slenderness of habit can
be corrected by pinching of the ends
of the branches, producing more nor
izontal growth. At the present time IN
the growing season young trees VIII be
pushing vigorously, and, as a general
thing. will have made growth enough 10
enable the orchardist TO perceive what
form they are about to assume-W nether
the young branches are proceeding from
therioht place, and in theri5ht direction,
to reach the desired form. If they are not
they should be set right at once by ru0-
bin2 off shoots that are not wanted,
niuebino the top off to retard such
arc pushing too vigorously to the detrl-
ment of others. An equality OF growth
among the shoots intended for the mann
branches. or framework of the tree,
should be maintained ; and where sur
plus OF small branches IN the interior
are appearing. giving the tree bushy
or twiggy look, a sufficient number OF
them should be removed to allow the
others to acquire a full and vigorous
growth. The ordinary mode of pro-
ceeding is to allow the trees to grow as
nature and circumstances may direct
during the summer, ana III "ln'sI ~
spring correct by pruning, etc, any de-
fects or deformities that may have arls-
en-. This is not what we call good Gull
ture,-NelO York Herald.
SHEEP AS A CLEANSING CRoP.-HOw to
clear our pastures of brush and weeds is
a very important question III all our
grazing distrit Is. AS n matter Df fact,
upon most dairy farms it requires the
utmost vigilance and considerable ex-.
pense annually in cutting brush to keeps
them clean. The grazing of COWS an
Young cattle alone will not clean the
land from brush and weeds. Patches
of briars, whortleberry, sweet fern,
hazel-nuts. scrub oak, or other brush
spring up, and spread year by year until
the grass is crowded out, and the land
is covered with a young growth OF for
est-trees. In many of the older states
there are large tracts of land now cover
ed with timber, that forty years ago were
in pasture. In the case of rough, hllly
land that can never be ploughed, tins
return to forest is often desirable, but
a certain portion of every 2rm is need
ed for pasture, and If animals can be
substituted for human labor IN killing
brush and weeds, it is exceedingly de
sirable to know it. We recently visited
two farms lying side by side, with no
perceptible difference in he quality or
moisture of the soil. Th4pasture lands
were onlv separated by y stone fence,
but something much broader than q
fence line had separated the manage
ment of the two farmers. The one
pasture had been grazed by cattle for
long term of years, and the policy had
gone to seed in a magnificent growth OF
aldsrs, whortleberry brush, young ma
pies, vervain, thistles and golden rod,
briars and other brush and weeds.
There were patches of grass in perhaps
one quarter of the field, where the COWS
got a scanty living. The other pasture,
in addition to its cattle, had the con
slant tread of flock of one hundred
and sixty sheep, and their hoofs in this
case certainly had been gold. Besides
all the wool, mutton, and lambs sold
from the flock, they had paid for their
keeping every year in freeing the pasture
of brush and coarse weeds, and IN en-
riching it with their manure. There
was no brush of any considerable size,
and very few weeds. And we learned
from the proprietor that sleep were the
only agents employed IN keeplnGakkile
field clean. They had n1bDIed the
young shoots every year as they started,
and what they had not killed out
right by this cropping they had kept
even with the grass. There was good
feed in every part of this pasture, even
latein thefall, and theowner OF this farm
used this contrast between these ad-
joing pastures as a standing argument IN
favor of sheep husbandry. 1t was very
much to the point. Ii it is true, as
George Geddes asserts, that sheep In
certain proportion to cattle pay their
way in a pasture naturally clean, they
must pay much better IN pasture IN
clined to produce brush and weeds.
We have had occasion to notice the
beneficial effects of the grazing of sheep
upon another farm that has been under
observation several years. They have
not only subdued sweet fern, briars,
and thistIes, but have greatly improved
tn grasses. The sod is much thicker
and heavier, and the white clover has
come in where once it made no show at
all. In pastures where nle brush is
already strong, and high,r than the
sheep can reach, it cannot Be expected
that they will conquer. But if the
brush be cut for a season or two, and
the sheep turned in sufficient numbers
upon the young growth, they viii keep
It under and eventually Destroy it.
This is much cheaper than the scythe
and pillow perpetually. Ag-
riculturist.