The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-19
Fruit Trees.

So many persons now set out fruIt /
trees that II seems as if Is hardly worth \
while to say a >-ord in encouragement of |
the practice: tut a large number of /
those set ont are not because people |
have thought much about planting, or
care very much for them, but chiefly
because they have been bothered by
some peddler 70 such an extent that they
had to give an order 20 a to get rid Of
the fellows So little do people who
give orders care for the trees under such
circumstances, that there is often trOu-
BILE with the railroad companies in re
gard to paying freight on them, and ia
order to protect themselves the compa
nies often insist on freights being paid in
advance by the sender of the trees; and
in this way the legitimate nursery bust
ness is embarrassed by reason of these
pestiferous peddlers.
SupposIng the trees are received and
paid for, there is still much Indifference
about setting them out and subsequent
care, and in consequence many die, or,
if they live, struggle along and come to
little account.
1t is strange that people should have
no better reason to give for purchasing
such trees than that they could not get
rid of the peddIer without; though they
know that they have to pay high prices
for poor trees, which may never turn out
to be as represented after all, unless the
peddler of trees is purer being than the
peddler of other articles. Still, it is well
that some trees are planted, and even
trees bought under such circumstances
as these may as well be cared for, for
they will, or at least may, be of some use
in the end.
Many set out fruit trees because they
are taught to believe that great profit
will result from the sale Of the fruit in
time We do not urge planting on this
ground, because money is really seldom
made by these spasmodie attempts, but
by those who understand fruit culture
thoroughly, and make it a chief and
leading business. Fruit trees, by the
average owner of land, should be planted
for family reasons; that is to say, in or
der to have a supply of fruit always at
hand on ones own place. Itmay be that
one will discover that profit can be made
of the fruit as well. There will then be
the chance to take advantage of these
circumstances, and to set out especially
for the purpose.
Many persons ask what land is best for
certain fruit trees, what manures are
best to user There is no doubt but that
some soil is better for trees, and some
manure more effective than others, but
this is rather in professional sense,
where special excellence is desired, and
need not worry the average man. There
is no soil nor any manure that is ready
to ones hard, but is quite good enough
for ordinary persons.
The trouble with most persons, and the
reason why trees so often fail, is that the
| rOOIs arr dliONeu " yet III y. 1Jig IOOlS
is a worse condition of things than poor
roots; and then the earth should be
hammered in very tightly about the
roots, and the trees severely pruued.-
Not one tree in ten thousand need die. if
these simplA things are re llly attended to
The after culture of trees is very SIM
ple Keep out insects from the stems of
the trees near the ground; do not dis
turb the surface roots by digging or
blowing near them, and spread on the
surface above the roots now and then
something TO eat.-ThOmGs HeehGR, an
Weekly Press.