The Portland daily press., 1874-06-23
FERNS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE.

"oi 'no sap Is Ill Iuli now, which Downing
cautions against. 1t looks barbarous to cut
Of limbSp full bloom and leaf but in n case @
Of q sfnaii wig the SAY seSms to form heal
ing satye as it eQpofates, the bleeding socA
IIe&ss1an3 newS bark is speedily fSslhed.
ai@S ai@ ,arSe limb is>vths hsahsanSbstation si5k,sl
always DE accompanied by an application Sf
solie sort That will keep out air and moisture
anu prevent rot. The best composition for
tnis purpose Is solution of gum-shellac in
aicohCi, maue ABOUT as thick as sof. soap
and applied with paint brush. A cbeaner
preparation, and one very effective, is made
by pounding up an old brick, sitting in and
mixing the fine dust with tar.
The mode OF pruning our orchards is
more important matter than the time. We
are inclined to think that the tendency in
this country is to an excess OF pruning.
England has no such bright and hot sun
shine as we are blessed with in this country
to ripen, color, and flavor our fruits. and
hence English maxims in reference to prun-
ing are not adapted to our climate. England
pruners use the knife, saw and chisel, with a
recklessness which would be injurious in the
extreme TO our trees. Their object is TO let
light in upon the fruit.
This leads us to say that iudcious pruning
has regard to the object to be accomplished.
In America we prune for three distinct pur-
poses-to increase the vigor of feeble trees,
to Improve the form of luxuriant ones, and
to regulate the amount of fruit. There is a
certain ratio which must be maintained be-
tween the roots and branches in order TO in
sure vgor. Thus, il, in transplanting tree,
we cut off maAy of the roots we must also
cut of a corresponding portion of the top, or,
rather, shorten them, or the roots will
not be able to- supply the demand for
nourishment which the branches make. Or
il tree is feeble we can prune the puny
branches, and thus direct the whole supply
OF nourishment to the remainder, which will
consequently grow with increased vigor.
We must, however, always bear in mind
that the influence between the roots and
branches is reciprocal The roots not only
support the branches and leaves, but the
latter also elaborate the sap for the roots
With a full-headed tree we always find a
corresponding large number of roots. In the
case of a young tree we should Only proon
with reference to the form. making the head
as much as possibl like an inverted umbrella,
umbel-shape, as the botanists call it. Of
course, the weak branches and those that
cross or crowd Others should be cut out, aud
the straight and vigorous ones bs left to
grow. With good beginning there will be
little necessity for the knife or saw alter
ward. Some suckers may start from the
roots oribranches, and if so these should be
with a common pocket knife by bending the
suckers a little to one side. There will be
few of these of-shoots, unless the tree has
been prpned excessively, so as TO give great
prepondearnce of roots If the suckers start
from the roots it is generally an indication
that the borer has obstructed the passage of
isap into the branches.
Wha young tree is luxuriant, and the
sap tends to form leaf rather than fruit buds,
the youpg orchardist need not be too impa-
,tient fof fruit. A rapid growth and the at
tainment of size and vgor is what we want
in young trees and young animals. Bearing
too early is at the expense of the future vigor
and possibly the life of the tree, and over
bearing is at the expense of the size and fla
vor of the fruit. When trees are young the
sap flows freely, and the natural result, the
production of leaf buds and growth, should
satisfy the oIchardist. As the tree grows old
er, and the rough bark appears, the crcula-
tion Of sap is less free, and new fruit-buds
will be formed. and with good supply of
leaves, large and wel-havored fruit will re-
suit. .I4 l1 -.tie.4.l.I..
If the tree persists in growing an unrea-
sonable length of time, and bears no fruit, it
is not worth while to manure it, certainly not
with nitrogenous manure. This would only
stimulate to more growth. The best pruning
VI q Out DdI1cu tEcC IL W tuL Ou
some of the roots. An old orchard always
produces abundantly the year after it has
been plowed, not because the plow enriches
the land or because the plowing was accom-
panied with manuring, but because of the
rough root-pruning which the plow causes.
Such rough surgery among the roots, aud the
consequent Over-production, are, however,
apt to be followed by premature decay of the
trees. The roOt-pruning as well as the
branch-pruning. should always be accom-
plished with clean cut.
One word as to the washing of trees. We
frequently see apple and other trees at this
season OF the year whitewashed. Now white
wash is very good for the kitchen walls. 1t
makes them clean and sweet, but it was new.
er intended for living surface. 1t stops the
pores OF the bark through which the tree
breathes in part. Washing is good for both
trees and men, but not whitewashing-ex-
cept at Washington. The wash we have
used for years is a mixture of soft soap and
water, one third soap and two-thirds water
for young trees, and a greater ratio of soap as
the trees grow older and the bark thicker.
This will take off the bark louse, open the
pores of the bark, and almost rejuvenate an
old tree. If soft soap cannot be had, potash
is a good substitute-a pound to gallon
OF water. Refuse mackerel bline will
also efiectua'ly destroy bark lice and
others insects, the oil and the salt 10th
combining in producing this result. The
washing should be attended to in the latter
part Of May, when the bark-louse matches its
young, for each of the little scales which
seem so hfeless on the bark of an apple tree
produces from thirty to forty young ones at
this season, and propagates again about the
1st OF August, when we often see the little
scales fastened on the fruit. They look very
innocent, but few thousand of them on a
tree suck out its life1blood. Soft-soap can be
put to no better purpose than destroying
these thieves, and it also softens the rough
bark so that it scales off, leaving the surface
of the tree smooth and healthy.-N Y.
Times. ra.fniaellr5l fult.'..r .-rr ..ar
PORTABLE sCAFFoLDING.
One riding over the country will often see
farmers houses or barns under repair, and if
shingles are being laid on the roofs, heavy
staging poles are set in the ground and their
top ends confined by mailing boards from
them to the corner boards and window frames
OF the houses. For the benefit of those OF
our readers who have such jobs to do and
who may not like to disfgure or injure the
finishing boards of their dwellings by driving
in coarse nails, we give below a description
of a portable bracket which we have found to
be very convenient, and at the same time
perfectly safe, if well made. The brackets
should have two braces nailed on each side
one pair of short ones at the angle, 10 hold
in place of the supporting joist, and two
longer ones to brace the ends of the arms
Such staging is stronger with considera-
Bile weight than if lightly loaded. 1t may be
well to nail stay or two across the supports,
in case of high winds, to hold them all to-
gether. With supports of different lengths,
staging of this kind would be found very
convenient for use while painting buildings.