The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-05-14
TREATRAENT OF FRUIT
TREES.

TN NgE
1'KEES.
EDITOR NEWS: Having been en-
gagged in pruning aud setting fruit
trees some this spring, and having
noticed large numbers of young or
chards, and others being set, nearly |
all of which show such q degree of
inexperience and neglect, that feel
like making an effort to put some
facts before the public, from person.
al experience and observation dur
ing the entire growth and develop
ment of one of the best fruit re-
gions of our land. / am ready 20
furnish vouchers from the best fruit
men in America, as TO the truth of
the following remarks, and if "A few
will profit thereby go as to set an
example for the many, 1 shall feel
l have not lived il vain in the far
west.
l shall devote my remarks pTIncI-
paily to the Peach, but other trees
need nearly the same care, with q
little difference in pruning. First.
When setting the young peach one
year from the bud. Prune all the
sides limbs of, they being of slim,
willOwy form and, and if left on
will never make upright, stocky
tops. The limbs that will then
start from the trunk will grow rank
and heavy and will form a fine
symmetrical top; besides, it is
necessary to curtail the top while
young I" give q good, firm hold to
the root and trunk, otherwise it will
weave around Qike some men on
Commercial street, since license
came III play, as if there were more
in the head than the feet could sus-
tain in an upright, manly way.
The next year cut back the lead
ing branches one third of the
growth made from the trunk, and
thin out to from four To six branch
es, to form permanent top and con-
time 10 check the tendency to run
up, at the same time keep the
under branches that incline down,
sheared off so as to enable one to
cultivate with horse. DO not be
afraid to cut away q limb because
there may be a few blossoms on it.
They will decrease the number that
would die of blight for want of
enough sap to develop all. AS a
general rule, if one half the fruit
that set on a tree after proper prun-
ing, were picked off there would be
the same number of bushels with
half the number of peaches. The
difference being in the latter mode,
large, we'll developed, luscious fruit /;
in the former, small, inferior and
insipid compared to the latter.
But the greatest mistake l find in
this country, is the mode of Guilt
walton. They are set and left to
grow in grass or weeds which burn
what little life there is in them out,
from lack of keeping the soil in
proper condition. Then in a weak,
half matured state, what little new
wood they have made is in a good
shape to get finish with the first
hard freeze. The result is a dead
tree or one with the small limbs
dead with few feeble sprouts start
ing on the large limbs. Now, in
the main, this is all unnecessary.
If tree is worth buying, and the
ground it occupies, it is worth tax.
ing care of.
That brings up the question GLOW
Shall we Take Care of Them?" ]
answer-let every one that doubts
take two rows, cultivate one as ]
direct and let the other go the care
less, common way and a short time
will satisfy the most skeptical
Cultivate the whole surface. 1t will
not do to spade foot or two
J around the tree, it is just as essen.
tial to keep the whole in a good
condition, as for any other crop
Some say oh, l mulch my trees
that is all good but more especially
with young trees. but the peach
roots extend father than the outer.
/ most branch of the top. Where
. does the tree take in its food, at thu
trunk or the out ends of it's fibrioul
rOots2 Most assuredly at the fibers
then what is going to keep all o
those feeders from drying up, tina
reach from tree to tree, when yoI
q spade q foot Or two near the trunl
= and put a little manure over it, i
D you wish to enrich your orchard
spread it all over and plow IN. Th,
little feeders will find it. Then i
there is coarse litter after first work
ing the land, smooth down ant
mulch, but if can't give it but one
give it the cultivation and prun
well, the result will be hardy
healthy trees, and large, lusciou
, fruit. l have many times seel
8 fruit from two different trees, one il
g the fence corner in the grass
;, the other cultivated twenty fee
from the first, both the same Variet,
q that were set out the same da,
J. that 10 one except an experienced
}, fruit grower would recognize a
e the same variety, either from tn
:, looks or flavor. Even the Seeding
r. will show the same improvement
by thinning and care. The result
- from an over burdened, poorl,
/. cared, uBpruned tree is about tn
a same as some OF the stock men tina
/ undertake to raise three or fou
calves on One COW, with the lift
looking on, then in the winter fee,
q hay not tit for bedding, with a snov
v bank for protection, and bewai
It their luck because they die or hav
= to lean against the fence to bleat
!. Now, where is the fault, in tn
counfrN nr fha sbift las,aes - -,