Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-18
agricultural.
Care of Trees.

fall and the ascent OF the 81 D IN the Sp ing.
He says: Many people ask what is the
best time, but | cannot answer that ques
ton, although | have pruned more tnan
sixty years, and at al seasons of the year
and in all locations. and. strange to say,
have not found the best time yet, for |
can't see rs it makes any difference to the
trees" Thank You, that is about the idei,
| advanced in Il paragraph published in
these columns year ago or more. | said
then | thought, from the result of my in
quiricS among old farmers who understood
the siness that the hest time was when
YOU had time to attend to it, for GU could
scarcely find two agree rs to he best sea-
son of the VeIr. | WAS careful not to con-
tradict myself, and said that :" the best
authorities agree that Is a good time, not
necessarily the best time My good author
tiles are fruit book written by we'll
known fruit grower of Massachusetts Il
writer in the Agricultural Report of the
Patent Office; Il farmer book. which
have and Sc sometimes for reference, and
certain other agricultural books and pa
pers. l think my friend will acknowledge
that we do not differ much, for he vii
allow that this is Il goo / time for the work
He objects To my speaking of the ascent
of the sap in the spring, us if thereby
accepted the Oil theory of its descent in
the tall and its remaining in the roots dur
ing the winter. | do not SO intend, for
never WAS taught an, such doctrine. But
certainly the warm dIys of spring do quick
en the sap and cause it to run up or ascend
to force forward the buds, leaves and new
branches, or else have very erroneous
idea. This, and only this, meant By the
ascent of the sap in spring.
He objects also to my speaking of shears
rs the best thing To prune trees with He
says: - Not Il single limb can be cut from
4 tree with shears as 1t should be, for il
leaves a stub from a half inch to an inch
long, and that stub will sprout and throw
out shoots, frequently from four to six, so
by cutting one Sprout we get a half dozen.
1t is impossible TO 20 into Il full grown tree
and prune with shears, as it takes both
hands to handle them, and how can he
steady himself? 1t makes one think of
the minister who went to pruning. and the
first limb he cut WAS the one he stood on.
and down he went" | hope my friend
does not intend any slur on the Clergy, for
| know many ministers, and lawyers too,
of whom | would be glad to take lessons
in fruit culture or other branches of farm
ing. There may be many places where
man could not operate a pair of shears to
advantage, but | am not willing to allow
that the saw is better than the s'etrs where
the shears will do. | have :; pair of them
that will cut limb larger than my thumb
even up to one two inches through, and if
as much p ins is taken to get i'll the right
position to use them Is would be necessary
to take to Use Il NV. they will cut without
leaving :; stub one-eighth of IN inch long
The saw is useful and often necessary.
but l like good pair of shears; and
think that he would if he saw them used
properly. Now Tor long extract from
his letter, from which hope we may all
learn something: Now will give my
method Of raising trees and treating an
orchard. In the first place, we must look
at the land that is best to grow the trees
on. Strong land is the best for fruit trees,
but the location is the most consequence
Elevated land is the best They are apt
to winter-kill on low, we'll sheltered places
but very seldom on high land. To sci
trees they should be put from thirty -five to
forty f, ct apart. forty is better if the land
is rich; then the sun can get in to warm
the land for they require warmth rs much
rs anything else. The les should be dug
very large; no manure should be put in if
the land is good. A little compost is good
# the land is poor, but the land should no
be kept under very high cultivation, as it
causec the trees to grow too fast and ten
der, and they can't st md the hard winters
and, by all means, keep the land from
grass until the trees are large enough to
bear fruit, and better if still longer Never
let more than three or four main branches
grow from the trunk, and then they should
be looked after every year to keep them
in good shape and nicely thinned ont.
Keep the branches upas much rs possible,
so they can be got under to cultivate the
land. l contend that very high cultivation
has been the cause of killing more trees
than everything else that has troubled
them. 1t causes them to grow s. tender
they can't stand the winters" Now. there
is wisdom gained by the practical expert
ence and observation of three score wears
And not a word of it do | want tn question
for my reading and inquiries (Which hav,
been more extensive tn Ii INV experienc-.) |
have given me ideas thLt agree with them |
exactly; but his idea of high cultivation |
should be received with caution. for think |
he does not mean 10 advocate that tn
land shoull BE- poor, and allowed tO grow |
up to gras until the trees get grasS-boun /. |
After the trees get large enough to bea
fruit they need Il great deal of nourishment
There is then US much danger of starving
them rs of overlooking. Do not run to
either extreme. Now for another extract
&" As the Baldwin apple is Il tree th.t is
more raised than any other kind, and bu'
little is known when or where 1t started
from, it may be interesting to many of the
readers of The JOHr1sGL to know the history |
of its Some seventy years ago one Col |
Baldwin lived in the town of Woburn, and
on his farm was in oil apple tree that bore
extra good fruit The rec WAS much de- !
cayed and the woodpeckers built their
nests in it, and the Colonel called it the
Pecker tree and the fruit the Pecker apple
and for many years it was not known by
any other name. 1t was long time be
fore any body knew what apple was meant
by calling it the Baldwin. but now the
trees may be counted by the millions, and
there ought to be Il monument raised over
the ashes of tina; old parent tree" Now
| hope my friend W II excuse the use
have made of his letter. have omitted
but little f it excepting his remarks about
the ascent of the sap. and that ! omitted
because the theory of the sap running up
in the spring and back into the roots in the
fall is one which | never intended to adj
vance, and | think bu few will defend it
in the sense in which he seemed to think
| meant. What | have used from his letter
/ have used because | thought it worth
more to the readers of The Journal than
anything | could write. And he or any
other reader Of these paragraphs who may
discover any errors in my statements will
always find me ready to acknowledge them
when they are pointed out and l am con-
WINGED that l am wrong. If not convinced
Twill be willing to give both sides of the
question fair consideration, and let the
public Judge whether am right or not
Lack of experience. lack of standard books
on agriculture, lack of time and means to
conduct experiments, are sufficient excuses
for being in the wrong often. Add to this
fbaf I often have IN urita with fyyo tbroa