Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-25
Controlling the Sap OF Plants.

Take branch and bend it down.
What will be the result? On that
place where the branch is bent. the
sap, the nutritious clement ofth plant
life cannot circulate any longer as
freely as before; those vessels that
bear the fluid through the cells of all
parts are to some extent compressed;
the developing progress in the upper
parts of the branch is retarded; the
sap looks for other channels, it is ac-
cumulated in the lower parts, by
which means Il greater growth and
perfection Of the flower bud are pro-
duced, and fertility will be the result.
by twisting, the same effect is pro-
duced.
BY plnching off the end Of the
flower bud, the bud will be developed
in a year, which will produce flower
buds the following season.
BY pruning and trimming fruit
trees, the regulating Of the sap is OF
the utmost importance. By cutting
off too much wood, the roots, those
parts of the plants that take off from
soil the nutritious elements, will sup
ply the plant with the same quantity
of sap as when uncut, and instead Of
furnishing nourishmcnt for the flower
buds, will forms new wood, or entire
ly perish for want OF issue under TIE
bark. The gardener has, therefore,
to prune very judiciously; a moderate
circulation OF the sap by light trim
ming or pruning, Or bending The
branches from a vertical position to
Il horizontal one, or by rubbing off
some of the buds, the sap, sufficiently
moderate, will produce fruit.
When cabhages grow too vigorous
ly, SO that their leaves seem more
disposed to spread than to form heads,
then cleave their stalks through and
through, often three and four times
during the season OF INTERROGATION.
The fee circulation Of the sap is by
this means interrupted, and the i'm
petuosity Of the sap moderated. |
would not advise to break off the
lower leaves as some people do, for
in most cases it is done too early or
too late, and instead Of producing
heads, the growth Of the leaves is
only accelerated
In shortening the tops Of our peas
and beans, the flow OF the sap is also
slackened, and a greater development
Of the pod is effected. As soo1 az
the second or third flowers Of the
peas appear, pinch off above these;
do it in due time and in right meas
ure, and the peas, making new branch
es below the second flowers, Will fur
nish the gardener with plenty Of this
delicious fruit. Gathering the fruit
as soon as possible has, in the regard
to the ripening Of fruit, left Il similar
effect.
When cutting off the vines Of
gourds, squashes, melons and cucum-
bcrs, do it above the first-formed fruit
instead of leaving several to FORM
The retarded sap viii develop the
only fruit left on the vine. But if
not early fruit, but plenty, too, is
wanted, pinch off the ends of the
young plants, when they have formed
the sixth Leaf, by which operation
side branches are produced which
will form very quickly plenty OF fruit,
and besides the fruit will ripen earlier.
Bruising the vines above the first
formed fruit "a method to which |
give prcterence) has the same effect.
When this is done the bruised parts
should be covered with soil. Many
gardeners who in raising cauliflowers
break the loose leaves and bend them
together above the newly formed
flower buds, do this in the supposition
only that the leaves help in the
bleaching process; but by this break
ing and bending the impetuoSity of
the sap is moderated, and renders n
larger part Of 1t disposable for the
growth and perfection Of the head.
To produce 4 large quantity and q
good quality of potatoes, some grow
crs pinch off the ends of the branches
some the yielding flowers; but this
is q great mistake. The pinching
can only be done when the buttons,
or seed-balls are formed, by which
proceeding the formation Of tubers is
fastened. \ betterresult is obtained
by bending down the branches above
the ground to the ground; in this
case the bent down branches ought
TO be kept down by layers Of soil or
light boards; by doing this the flow
Of the sap will be directed to the
parts below, and an augmentation of
the tubers will be affected.
In the same manner the retardation
OF the sap, by knotting or trampling
down the stalks Of onions and garlic
produces 4 quicker ripening and a
finer aud larger fruit; or by training
the stems in two or three places
against sticks, a greater prolusion Of
truit-buds; or by supporting the pear
fruit by small boards, or by resting
them ON the branches, very large
fruits; or by forcing beans, in dimin-
ishing their height, to fall backward,
a greater production of pods and
beans. Now the gardner has plenty
Ct means on hand by regulating the
sap, to enlarge the production of his
garden. What has the planter done
until the present with regard to the
regulation Of the sap? Have none
Of you, Patrons of Husbandry, tried
to trim or prune the cotton plant?
Have none made observation whether
broken down stalks Of it produced
larger bolIs and 4 finer quality of
cotton? Did you get more sweet
potatoes when cutting off the vines?
Did your corn ripen quicker and
heavier by cutting off the tops Of the
cornstallis? Who did? A kind an
swer will much oblige the under
signed gardener EFm. He'll, IN orr
Home Jou1n0i.
Improbable Stock.