Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-19
For the vERnoSr FARMER.
Grating.

As the season is near at hand for grating
perhaps | can say few words to your many
readers that they may graft and otherwise
care for their trees, for il is through the
press farmers are to obtain knowledge so as
to make farming pay and our homes pleasant
and attractive. What will make our home
more attractive to our children than to have
1t surrounded with an abundance Of all kinds
OF fruit that is adapted to our climate both
great and small. believe my home is
much more merry with fruit than it would
be without. But am wandering from my
subject. When began the grating busi-
ness 20 years ago the people thought about
here that the fruit tree business had about
played out las there were several nurseries
in this vicinity at that time) but if people
continue to buy much longer root grated
h'es5Eg trees. we shall 6nd tha market not
over stocked. If the farmers will graft their
scattering trees that come up around on their
farms and take little pains to save them,
and where they do not come up buy honest,
homegrown nursery trees, then we should
have an abundance Of fruit.
Grating may be done any warm day in
the spring. l cut my scions in the fall,
which is the safest, but if you have not cut
your scions il will do well If you cut in
March, and keep where damp until set.
With fine saw cut the limbs, not over au
inch in diameter, then with a sharp knife
pare off the outer edges; with mallOt strike
the knife so as to split the limb with a
wedge open the split so rs to let the scion
in, after shaving the scion on both sides SO
as to let the bud come near the upper end
of the split. Apply wax SO as to make it
air tight. By little pains the poorest fruit
tree can be made to bear the best
As my nursery business has increased
from year to year until l have now about
40, 900 trees, have been obliged to examine
and closely observe what soil was adapted
to such fruit as would succeed and give the
buyer satisfaction.
will name few varieties that have done
and are doing the best throughout the New
England states, such as have been thorough. /.
ly tried. l would advise all new beginners
to buy lightly Of new varieties, as not one
in twenty but will prove failure aud the
money expended worse than thrown away.
The varieties are, for winter, Yellow Bell
flower, Northern Spy, Canada Red, Peck's
Pleasant, RambO, King, Mother, Wine, Fa-
meuse, Orange Sweeting, Sweet Russell,
Hubbardston Nonsuch.
For hill soil, up from the stream, Rhode
Island Greening, Baldwin, Spitzeaberg Rox-
bury Russell. Fall and early, Holland Pip
pin, Porter, Duchess of Odenburg, Early
Harvest, German BOugh.
Grating Is a little out Of a farmer's rOu-
tine of business, so it is apt to be neglected.
When he plants bis corn or potatoes he
knows if he gets crop they have got to be
cared for, but as for his fruit trees, he does
not just know whether they will bear or not,
so as they are little doubtful he let's them
60.
If he employs man to set the scions,
many want them warranted for four or FIVE
months and they expect the warrant is going
to make them grow and live, whether they
are cared for aud the sprouts removed or
not, which is as necessary as it is to remove
the weeds around your corn or potatoes, for
the first four or five months decide their
valuc in after years, for it is very necessary
to have the union with the scion good and
strong.
Many people buy trees without any idea
that they require any care more than lit
tie hole dug and the tree jammed into it in
some out-of.the-way place, aud in tho course
Of four or FIVE years when they come to look
for them they are astonished that they can
not find where they set them or where they
have gone to, but conclude the mice have
eaten them up, and it is not paying thing
to go into. Fruit trees require the best Of
care for the first four or FIVE years. They
do much better to cultivate the ground the
first few years with a liberal application OF
manure. Trees that are four or FIVE years
old from the graft are the best age to put
out and can be had at the nursery for s25
per 100, where they are sold after the man
ner of the grange and no agents or middle
men are employed.
THos. f. BUrrERFELD.
Weathersfeld BoI0. VI.