The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-03-18
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

CHERRY TREEs.-A letter from l..
Brooks, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was
read as follows, to the New York Far
mers' Club:
"Will such members of the Farmers
Club as have experience in the matter,
please give me information as to pruning
bearing cherry trees? On farm which
/ have lately come into possession OF,
most of the cherry trees have perfect
ENHANCEMENT of superhuous limbs.
Some horticulturists say to prune the
cherry trees but little. / have had no
experience in trimming this tree"
A reply to the letter by DIR. +. Ware
Sylvester, ef Lyons, N. Y, was read as
follows:
"The general principle is correct to
trim cherry trees but very little. The
sap of cherry trees commences to flow
very early in the season; hence | have
always grated cherry trees in February
or March, while the winter snow was on
the ground, with good success, but those
who have grated at the usual time of
grating the apple or pear have usually
failed. My advice would be, first trim
one half of the whole number of cherry
trees in February, and the remaining
half in the middle of June. think you
will succeed with both, but those
trimmed in February may bear small
crop this season. Second, in trimming,
avoid cutting off large branches, if pos
sible, and, if practicable, always cut a
limb at the crotch, so that the remaining
limb will carry the sap forward and as
.,,a Aunrsror hn xuntnH hafnra tho
wood has time to decay. If you try both
seasons, please report to the club which
succeeds best"
Mr.. S. f. Todd said that he had had
considerable experience in the cultiva-
ton of cherry trees, and as rule he
never pruned much. If redundant
limb was cut off the wound should be
protected with grating wax and covered
with cloth. Attention to the soil was
very necessary in the successful cultiva-
ton of good cherries. 1t should be well
fertilized with ashes, and dressing of
clay is to be recommended. Good stable
manure was also useful when the land
was impoverished.
Mr.. Lawrence stated as singular fact,
that on the upper part of Manhattan
Island, near the Bloomingdale road,
where he had lived when a boy, cherry
trees were abundant and very produc-
tive. There was not now, to his knowl-
edge, a cherry tree in the neighborhood.
His recollection of the manner in which
the trees were treated in his boyhOod
was that they were not pruned.
Mr.. Bruen, of New Jersey, advocated
the careful trimming of the trees, and
was of the opinion that the covering of
the wounds made with cloths was unne-
cessary.
Mr.. J. A. Wagner thought the cause Of
cherry trees dying out in particular 10.
calities was certain properties in the soil
they most needed becoming exhausted
A valuable service might be rendered by
discovering and explaining what pecu'
liar element was the most essential to the
life of the trees.
JERSEY CABBAGEs.-In the Island Of
Jersey, owing to favorable climate and
culture, the cabbage has tree-like char
acter, and the gardens where it is grown
present the appearance of groves of low
palms. The plants, on the average, are
six feet in height. Darwin mentions 6
stalk which attained the height of six
teen feet, and "had its spring-shoOts a.
the top occupied by a magpie's nest.
Not unfrequently the stems rise to TIT
height of ten or twelve feet.
These stout, woody growths are useC
tor variety of purposes, such as cross
spars for the roof and thatch of small
farm-buildings and cottages. If KEEP
dry, these rafters will last many years
The smaller stocks arc converted int,
walking-sticks, called Jersey canes
which look very pretty when vanished
and are largely bought by summer tour
lists
Pliny relates that in Italy cabbage
were cultivated to an enormous size, anC
the Gardeners Magazine, Vol: III, men
tions one that, springing up by acciden
in an enion-bcd, weighed when cut TWEEN
ty-fve pounds. A white cabbage grow
at Fakenham, England, last year GOV
cred an area of ground exceeding fou
feet in diameter. When stripped of it
outer leaves, and ready for cooking, i
weighed twelve and onc-half pounds
and measured thirty-seven and One-hal
inches in circumference. The stalk iron
which it was cut measured two and one
half inches in diameter.
ALWAYS GOING TO Do.-A writer il
the Rural New Yorker, says some men ar
always going to do great things, but neve
begin. | once had neighbor-and il
fact may have some of the same sor
now-who was perpetually telling wha
he was going to do, consequently neve
had time to do anything. He would &c
up early in the morning, draw on heav
pair of boots, with pants tucked inside
then to see him start out for the barr
making everything fly right and left, on
might suppose him to be one of tn
driving sort. So he was, for about a
hour or less, or until called to breakfast
after which he would light his pipe, strol
over to his nearest neighbor, or hang owe
the fence and talk to every passer-by rt
specting the same old story of what h
was going to do tomorrow, or next week
1t is needless to say that my neighbo
soon found out that farming was poo
business.
| can call to mind number of simila
instances where the best of resolution
failed to bring success. 1t is well enoug
for farmer to get up early and "storr
about" little in the morning; but if h
lacks the sticktoitiveness," all hi
blister will not amount to much in a Ion
run.
Neat, coy homes, good gardens, orchard
and other home comforst are never OF
famed by these going-to-do-sort of foil
Of late, / have read a little but seen
great deal in my agricultural paper
about farmers conventions held in variou
Western States, and at which there ha
been much speech-making and stupcndou
resolves made to do great things. Pei
haps the time and money spent at thes
gatherings could not be put to bette
use; but when reading the reports Q
the same cannot help thinking of m
old neighbor who got up every morning
with good resolution to do some
thing the next day, which of course neve
came.
The best way to enhance the price O
farm products is to improve the quality
for agood article never goes begginga Gus